Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front
by F-14 Tomcat Lover
Summary: In Cosmic Era 69, the Earth Alliance has replaced the destroyed United Nations and declares war on the space colonies of the PLANTS and Principality of Zeon. In response, Zeon has declared a war of independence for the space colonies. Nearly three years have passed and the war is in a stalemate. Can the new Earth Federation turn the tide with its new weapon called Gundam?
1. Gundams Rising

Standard Disclaimer here: I do not own anything that is Gundam related.

Obnoxious Disclaimer: Because if I did, I would have used something other than stupid tactics to _**REALLY **_show off the Mobile Suit's prowess.

* * *

More than a hundred years have passed since Earth began to move into space. During this time, the conclusion of the Reconstruction War ended after the employment of Nuclear Weapons on the Kashmir Region of Asia. As a result of the Reconstruction War, the world's boundaries had changed as nations joined together or conquered their neighbors to expand their territories. With the conclusion of the war and the preceding years of debate and strife, the world was at peace.

It did not last.

With revelation of Coordinators and the growing dependence on space for both resources and to relocate burgeoning populations, trouble began to brew.

In Cosmic Era 48, the Republic of Zeon, made up of the group of space colonies furthest from Earth known as Side 3, was both founded and declared independence from the mother nations of Earth. Despite this, the Republic of Zeon maintained peaceful contact with the mother nations as it applied for permission to join the United Nations.

The United Nations saw no reason to deny Zeon its entry, despite pressure to prevent it. The United Nations formally recognized the Republic of Zeon and gave it admittance to the United Nations.

Then in CE 58, the PLANTS also attempted to declared independence and sovereignty. This was met with a major crackdown by Sponsor Nations. In protest, the fledgling Republic of Zeon deployed its own military forces into the PLANTS' airspace in order to protect the new nation coming to birth. The threat of war escalated until President Andrew Messa of the United Federal States of the Atlantic opted to not draw his nation into a pointless war over something as trivial as genetics.

Without the backing of the UFSA, the remaining powers were forced to begin to back down, save for the Union of Republics of the Eurasia Federation. The UREF attempted to even occupy the territory of other states, eventually bringing it close into conflict with the United States of South America whose colonies bordered the PLANTS' airspace.

With a shooting war possible, the United Nations convened and successfully negotiated an end to the brewing possibility of conflict in what became known as the Messa Accords. Though this act cost President Messa his life at the hands of the a Blue Cosmos assassin, he helped to prevent a war.

Regrettably, the word 'Postpone' should be used.

Following President Messa's death, the founder of Zeon, Zeon Zum Deikun, also passed from grave illness. On his deathbed, he uttered a single name, Degwin Zabi. It was believed at the time that Zeon Deikun was naming his successor. To this effect, Degwin Zabi took the title name of Degwin Sodo Zabi while his son Gihren Zabi purged Side 3 of all loyalists to the Deikun family.

Alarmed by the sudden shift in power and the purging, the United Nations demanded an explanation, but the Zabi Family merely ignored it. The PLANTS, who had become depended on Zeon for its shield, had no choice but to go along. The stage becoming set as Blue Cosmos used the purging and the Zeon nation's continued protection of the PLANTS as a means to covertly and quietly take over the government of the UFSA.

In the year CE 68, the Sponsor Nations returned to the PLANTS' airspace and attempted to blockade and re-occupy their territory. The local Zeon forces joined the newly reorganized PLANTS' militia, ZAFT, in defense of the colonies. This time neither side backed down and casualties occurred as both sides for the first time traded blows.

The United Nations attempted an emergency summit on the moon at the capital of the Confederation of City States of Luna, Copernicus City. The meeting never occurred, the meeting of the United Nations was bombed and nearly all members killed. Only Sigel Clyne, representing the PLANTS, had not arrived in time for the opening of the meeting due to a malfunctioning shuttle, but his brother, PLANTS Ambassador to the United Nations Olav Clyne, was killed.

It was suspected that Blue Cosmos was the party behind the attack, but they were able to use their control to make it appear that the PLANTS had and then created their own organization to replace the now defunct and decapitated UN with their Earth Alliance and its military arm, the Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion Enforcer, OMNI Enforce.

They had no idea of what they had just committed humanity too.

In the following CE 69, the newly renamed Principality of Zeon declared once again its independence and war against the Earth Alliance. The Earth Alliance declared war right back and dispatched a fleet to attack the PLANTS while another deployed to attack Side 3.

Both sides opened up with a heavy exchange of conventional power, but at the Junius Cluster, Junius Seven was destroyed by a nuclear missile fired by a Blue Cosmos infiltrator. Had it been the only use, humanity might have condemned just the pilot and his parent organization. Unfortunately, Zeon was employing all forms of weapons of mass destruction early on, shocking the Alliance and Enforcers by the surprise use of such weapons.

The response was immediate as the Alliance responded in kind to those siding with the PLANTS and Zeon as well as attempting more use of such weapons.

In under a month, more than 30 percent of the human population was wiped out. More could have been lost had the PLANTS not deployed the Neutron Jammer that caused by sides to flounder. With the use of N-Jammer, only a specific type of nuclear reactor could be used and that was mostly controlled by Zeon and, by proxy, the PLANTS. This rendered most nuclear technology, especially weapons grade nuclear technology, useless.

Still, Zeon had Biological and Chemical Weapons, but the PLANTS refused to allow them to be used. Degwin Sodo Zabi agreed to the demands of the PLANTS Supreme Council and under his personal order, commanded that all Weapons of Mass Destruction be withdrawn from all bases and disposed of. The order was carried out at the losses in the war exceeded 40 percent several weeks into the war and were feared to continue to climb.

Thanks to that and the successful negotiation of the Antarctic Treaty, humanity avoided nearly destroying itself.

Nevertheless, the war continued on, grinding to a stalemate with a combined ZAFT/Zeon invasion of Earth failing to achieve the rapid victory that both hoped for. The key battles of Washington, Britain, France, and the African Line caused both sides to stop and regroup. The Moon itself was also split and the Luna Confederacy was no more as both sides waged war.

It is now January of Cosmic Era 71, the war continues with a death toll approaching 50 percent. The United Mars Federation has declared neutrality in the war and deployed its own vaunted fleets to defend itself. Among other neutrals was the Side 6 Colonies, the Union of Equatorial States, the United Emirates of Orb, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the more powerful Middle Eastern Nations.

The war has entered its 15th month of stalemate.

* * *

_**Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Zeonic Front**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**Gundam Rising**_

Kira Yamato limped down the stairs, using both the rails and his cane. He would one day heal, but that was a long time off for him. The brown haired youth was currently leaving his temporary residence to head out to work. At age 15, soon to be 16, he was young to hold his job as a computer software specialist, but he was also bright enough to get it.

He also needed the money and badly.

His medical bills aside, they were actually being covered by his employer, but he had been too reckless and the results had made him a young father with a young wife back at home. Then there was his mother, his father having divorced her and left, she hadn't worked in years and changes -the war notwithstanding- had occurred in the working world since then. Now she was unable to get work that really pulled in the income needed and with his own wife unable find employ herself, that left him as the sole breadwinner of their family.

He arrived in his dining room to smell food already prepared and looked to see his house guest was responsible.

"Princess," he protested immediately to the knee length long haired young woman, "Next time wake me sooner! I'll make the meal."

First Princess Royal of the Kingdom of Azadistan turned to see Kira limp into the kitchen area, the young man's coffee brown hair neatly combed, but naturally spiked downwards at its ends, his face still held his baby fat making his cheeks slightly round, his often gentle and shy looking face filled with pain as he bumped his injured leg. The dark haired, blue eyed Middle Eastern beauty with sharp, but soft features simply smiled as she shook her head, her long hair dancing slightly with the movement. She wasn't about to force a man still recovering to perform such a task as she was fit and able to do. It wasn't like she had always been the princess of her nation and she knew Kira from when he had wandered into her kingdom with the injuries of what ailed him. So she knew how extensive he had been hurt and paid, out of her own pocket no less, for some of the things he needed so he could send more to his family and she even helped around his home, temporary as it was.

Besides that, they were related by blood, though distantly, much to their surprise.

She also felt comfortable with Kira, comfortable enough that she was dressed in a pair of short shorts with a short sleeve shirt that barely reached her midriff. She had on ankle high socks to pad around in as well. Though she was also wearing a cooking apron right now, but it felt nice to be just another person and not her royal heritage.

It had been Kira's wife that suggested that she sometimes find a place to just be herself. It just so happened that she chose to do so around Kira, because he saw her only as Marina Ismail. Plus, since they were related, they would tease one another like they were more closely related. It was a warm feeling for the two that had developed over the time they had been together.

Though Shirin Bakhtiar sometimes admonished her about such casual dress, she did so only as a reminder to not get caught. The Conservatives back in their homeland would have an endless fit over it. Yet, Shirin was there, clad in a pair of tight shorts and an even shorter top than what Marina wore, showing of nearly her whole mid section with apparent little regard to the lone male or her nation's attitudes to such a thing.

"You know that Marina likes doing this Kira," the woman giggled behind a hand, trying to look demure, but failing as the smile on her own beautiful face which was slightly round from being flatter and short compared to Marina's longer and thinner look, "You're the only one who would let her be Marina and today we're going to be heading back to our homeland," the short cut chestnut brown woman said, Kira noting again how her large glasses only enhanced her beauty, though it also made her face look a bit rounder at the same time.

As Shirin pulled out a chair for Kira to limp into and sit down, he looked up to her, "So the trade agreements worked out then?"

Marina was the one who answered, "Yes, Sovereign Degwin Sodo Zabi agreed to ship the necessary equipment and send the the needed technicians for us to build our own Minovsky Power Plants, giving our nation safe, clean energy again," the Princess Royal was simply aglow with the good news she could give to her people.

"Of course the charge, if his son Girhen had his way, would have been our siding with the Spacenoids," Shirin added with a tone of disgust, "Fortunately, he's now in command of operations on the Earth like Admiral Garma Zabi is, and he only stated that our ports be open for ZAFT and Zeon ships to enter in cases of emergencies, such as if they are suddenly taking on water or have a medical emergency beyond their ability to handle."

"We would have done so regardless," Marina chastised her aide before turning to Kira again, "Although the Conservatives wanted something more, I was able to get an agreement that any ZAFT or Zeon ship and/or personnel that entered fleeing a battle or simply entering without permission may be detained held until the conclusion of the war or until negotiations are agreed too."

"Smart," Kira nodded as Marina placed his breakfast before him and kissed him on the cheek, something he returned on her own, "Now both sides have to be careful around Azadistan and the nation itself can maintain it independence from the war raging around it."

Kira personally knew what the Middle East looked like now. It hadn't been that bad since the Federation of Israel States and the United Islamic Theocratic Republic had their throw down in 2131 AD back before the Reconstruction Wars. With half the Middle East either under the Star of David or the Islamic Crescent, both sides had gone to war and for the first time in its history, the Jewish state had been able to trade blow for blow, but in the end they had been able to deliver the better blows that utterly crushed the UITR. When the smoke had cleared cleared, the Israelis, ironically made up of not just Jews, but Israeli Christians and Muslims too, had emerged victorious with standing bordering with the Independent Muslim Republic of Pakistan and with United Republic of Libya and south into Central Africa, north to Russia, and that was it.

Though, as Kira knew, the Israelis withdrew to their own territory after the war, the Republics of Krugis and Azadistan along with the Kingdom of Suille had come into being with smaller nations around them, none large enough to challenge the Israeli nation again nor the will to do so with a shaken faith in religion and leadership from the defeats and heavy losses, most of the two caused by their own side rather than the Israelis.

The Israeli Federation, like all the nations from the AD Calendar, was lost in the Reconstruction Wars. It was a sad end to those nations, but in today's world, it was probably for the best. At least they would not be soiled by the likes of Blue Cosmos.

Kira though turned his attention from history to his food and his guests. The three sat together, laughing and joking as they ate. It was more like a family get together than the end of a business trip for them both. Kira's items were already packed and moved to be taken away, this was the last of the food for the time he had spent in Side 7. Now once his dishes were done, they'd be packed and shipped as well with the rest of his belongings. Then he'll be onto work and from there, finish any small detail and then head back to Heliopolis in time to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day with his wife and that was still a couple of weeks away.

'_I wonder if she will be able to walk later?' _he idly thought to himself with nothing showing on his face, save that he was for a moment in thought, as he thought about how he missed his wife.

He felt really bad taking a job so far away, practically on the other side of the Earth Sphere. That made Direct Line of Sight Communications impossible and he only had her letters to get him by. The money he sent back was what was important and he learned that it had helped a lot to keep them going. That made all the hardship worthwhile and his last letter said that he would be returning in a couple weeks time no less and that the last day had finally arrived, he was ready to wrap up his programming and go home to Heliopolis.

As soon as breakfast had been eaten, the three heard the door chime alert them to someone being at the door. Kira frowned as he looked at his watch, the old antique display informing him that he wasn't due in for another hour and a half. The door chime sounded again and Kira got himself up, taking a pistol with him just in case, much to Marina's surprise. She hadn't known he was even armed, let alone had a gun under the dining table! She saw him cautiously approach the door and look through.

It was just a neighbor.

He sighed as he carefully opened the door, just in case the girl was here under duress.

She wasn't, but given how close his employment was to finishing, he had to be extra careful. This was the time where it all that could go wrong, would go wrong. Something he hadn't spent so much time away from his family to just die, especially after promising to be home soon.

"Hello Mister Yamato," the Germanic brunette greeted him.

The older male took a moment to blink at his surprise visitor. Frau was a year younger than Kira and despite that, she was a very mature young lady. Her face looked a bit younger than she was actually, still carrying much of her baby fat, giving her a fuller looking round face. Her eyes were red, but she was a Natural, Kira saw that sometimes, already an oddity before the CE calendar, it became more common after the Recon Wars and the heavy use of WMDs. Fraw stood a bit shorter than one of his friends and was clad in a single piece green dress that went to her knees and she wore white shin high socks with brown shoes as well. Her own chestnut brown hair was in a short cut and Kira was sometimes reminded of some old fashion helmet for whatever reason.

One thing though was clear...

"Hello Fraw, how are you today?" Kira returned, hiding the pistol off to the side so not scare her with his own paranoia, even if she already knew about the weapon.

"I was wondering if you've seen Amuro today?" the teenage girl asked him, even as she eyed him up and down, she had heard about Coordinators being different, but with his cane, Kira looked no different from anyone else, but it went against what her parents said and it always left her confused.

"Not today Fraw," Kira chuckled, the boy was like Athrun or like how he had been before, "But I'll wager a good guess he's probably lightly clad and still tinkering with something, you know he does that."

Fraw's pretty face became flushed as she knew what Kira was referring too. Amuro had the bad habit of allowing himself to forget to even dress at times. She still remembered the time she had first introduced Kira to Amuro only to find the boy not even dressed. Though Kira had taken it in stride, remembering his friend had a similar habit as did he once.

Poor Amuro hadn't been able to escape that lecture for the rest of the day.

"I'd better go find him and make sure he knows we need to get to a shelter now," the girl stated as she turned to leave, only to find her movement arrested when Kira reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I thought the evacuation wasn't due for another two hours?" Kira looked at her sternly, surprised by the change of events.

"It was Mister Yamato, it was," both turned to see a military officer hurry over to the two of them, "Things have changed and not for the better."

Cursing lightly in a Pacific Islander language Kira released Fraw and sent her to find Amuro and get to a shelter. The officer then tried to hurry Kira to a waiting vehicle, but Kira indicated he had to see his guests off and grab his work. The officer was surprised, he'd heard nothing about guests. Though the situation was defused as Shirin exited, fully dressed in her light green and black with gold trim formal clothing.

"Greetings, um?"

"Lieutenant Brubaker ma'am," the man tipped his hat lightly with a slight nod of his head, "May I ask who you are and why you're here?"

"Certainly Lieutenant Brubaker," Shirin agreed with a small curtsy, "My name is Shirin Bakhtiar and I am the aide to the Princess Royal of Azadistan, Princess Marina Ismail, cousin to Lord Yamato here."

The officer looked taken back by both who she said she was, who Kira was related to, and her address of Kira and he spoke it, "I'm afraid you leave me confused ma'am?"

"Kira Yamato is a relation of Princess Marina, though admittedly with some distance, but a relation nonetheless," she indicated Kira who only nodded to the officer in confirmation, "Some refer to him as a lord as such, though admittedly only by those who hold such matters as important."

Brubaker translated, "So he's a foreigner and doesn't actually hold the title of lord per se, understandable, my name isn't exactly something you'll find in uptown Lancaster," Shirin thought he had had a Lancastrian accent.

Kira then spoke up, worried about something, "What about ships? Any leaving Lieutenant?"

Turning, the dark haired lieutenant shook his head. He then informed them all ships were ordered not to leave since a Zeon ship was spotted though they feared there were more. As such, they could not open the harbor as it would give easy access to the colony's interior. It was a safety measure as well as a defensive measure. If the Zeon seized the harbor they had easy entrance, but if a missile passed through the harbor entrance, it could vent the entire colony and even propel it like a missile itself out of placement and into another colony or worse.

"So they can't leave, despite their level of diplomacy?" Kira inquired though he already knew the truth.

"Unfortunately," Brubaker looked nervous, "It's the Red Comet we're talking about."

Kira just stared at Brubaker. How would they be worried about the port? Then he remembered that most were recent recruits and garrison troops. They had almost no combat experience against the ZAFT and Zeon forces, but this was the Red Comet.

"Lieutenant," Kira said evenly, "They're likely already inside the colony after using a side entrance."

Brubaker blinked, then blinked again, and finally cursed himself just as Marina exited the house in her official traveling outfit of a white blouse with a white sweater and a knee length black skirt and in black high heels.

"Something wrong?" she asked, curious at hearing Brubaker rant through a few curses and just about grab Kira to start running when Kira shouted at the man to calm down and help him get his papers as Shirin turned to Marina.

"Zeon is outside," the brown haired woman grimaced as she fixed her glasses, "A battle is likely and there's a chance they're already inside the colony."

Marina brought her hands up to her face in surprise, confusion, and fear. She knew that so far, surviving in a colony's shelters was mixed at best. Most of the human cost thus far had been colonies. Since she was from Earth, it was even worse for her.

Fortunately Kira had a set of wheels still and threw Shirin the keys as he loaded up his stuff and left in a hurry with the soldiers.

* * *

Inside the colony's military command center, the garrison commander moved toward a viewing site into space. He could hear the orders and commands being issued to move equipment and the new V-Project Prototypes to get them ready for loading. Then as he arrived, he couldn't help hearing a comment about _White Base_ leading a Zeon ship to them. Nevertheless he alighted near another officer to observe the _White Base_'s approach.

"So is this it?" he inquired, almost disbelieving the site of the new warship.

"Yes sir," one of his officers responded.

"The Federation has a fine new warship it can be proud of lieutenant!" the commander couldn't help but feel like a child watching a new toy coming to him, "With the strength and firepower of the new Gundam combined with this new warship we shall finally be able to break the Zeon easily!"

As he said that, the mighty new warship began its approach. It was a truly magnificent ship, her beauty not seen since the American Great White Fleet of the early 20th Century AD. She looked like a white winged horse, befitting the class name of Pegasus and the meaning that the _Pegasus_-class shall bring them to victory in the long war. He couldn't help but admire the ship's quiet beauty as the men and women around him did as well.

Though deep inside the ship, in one of the crew quarters, the occupant heard a knock, "Come in," the man called and the door opened to reveal a younger man, barely out of his teens as he entered and saluted.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant Ray sir, we've just docked, please report to the bridge at once" the dark haired man with a handsome face said and the Lieutenant Ray turned to him, noting it was a young officer. The tall and lanky, but military built young man cut a good look in the fledgling Earth Federation Military tan coat with black trim, white trousers, the mid-shin high length brown boots. His red cuffs and collar were still clean as the golden belt buckle shined in the light of the room. His dark eyes were low cut, but wide beside his nose and he had a strong look about him, but he was untried in war, still only a few months in and young.

"I'll be right there, thank you," Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Tem Ray responded as he closed the design book to his creation, "Mister Bright, is it?"

"Yes sir," the reply from the man came.

"And how many months in the military, Mister Bright?" Tem asked of the man that wasn't all that old in comparison to himself, having turned to face the man half-way, head completely facing him.

"Six months, sir," Bright Noa replied to the question, stock-still as he was before.

"You're about nineteen years old, right?" Tem continued asking the young officer.

"Yes, sir," Bright answered again.

Tem, having turned his head to a picture of his only child, he said, "Once we start mass-producing the Gundam, as I've planned," only to turn to face Bright again, "we can probably end this terrible war without sending kids like you into battle."

Bright, looking at the picture on the desk, asked curiously, "Is that your son, sir?"

"Yes," Tem answered, taking a moment to look at the picture of his son. "I hear that there are even kids his age fighting as guerrillas in this war." Turning to face Bright again, he asked in a tone befit of trying to torture someone for information, "Is that true, Bright?"

"Y-yes, I believe so, sir," Bright answered as he moved to let Tem out of the room. "That's what they say."

Tem summed up his thoughts with two words as he walked out of the room, turned left, and walked over to the bridge, with Bright closing the door behind him. "It's horrible."

* * *

Already the events were in motion as alarms blared through the base. Kira and Brubaker had informed the base defense commander of the possibility that Zeon was already in the colony. The commander, fearing that possibility and thinking about who they were up against, had already issued the ordered for his defense personnel to make ready for battle. He then alerted his superior who was in charge of the defense of the colony and the man decided to test that theory with a group of their precious few space fighters and mobile armor.

* * *

"They're sorting to meet us?" Char Anzable frowned as the masked and helmeted blond man dressed in a personalized red Zeon officer's uniform turned to his ship's captain.

"Yes sir," Captain Erich Wolfenstein Dren nodded as he rubbed his chin, his gloved fingers brushing against the bottoms of his thick, black sideburns, "I've already ordered the _Holstein _and _Schleswig _to maneuver themselves and launch mobile suits, but as you know they only have eight Zaku's between them at this time."

"Of which," Char spoke without missing a beat, "three are down for maintenance, two have irreparable battle damage, and three piloted by green rookies fresh from the academy back in the Vaterland," Char then looked up from the holographic situation map to his longtime friend, "Launch them, they can get their baptism by fire today."

"Yes sir," Dren ordered the comms officer to make it so and the three accompanying _Laurasia_-class Frigates launched the three mobile suits they could.

* * *

The Battle of Side 7 began at once when the two sides deployed forces met...

...but not in space.

Eager for victory glories and sick of waiting around, especially since he believed -somewhat true- that the Federation forces knew they were in the colony, Korporal Mathias Gene, chose to recklessly assault the Federation base as they began to load up the V-Project Prototypes despite orders to the contrary.

Oberfeldwebal Richter Denim tried to stop his wayward charge, but the damage had literally been done. Joining in on the assault himself, they began to sweep the colony of anything Federation. Only the fire they were getting indicated that the Federation knew in advance their general location. It was something Denim cursed about as he destroyed a Federation M61 Tank, only to have to duck when a Mobile Suit Destroyer rolled around from behind a building and fired. Denim had caught visual of the MS Killer vehicle just a scant second before it fired and had not only been able to dodge, but counterfire, though he missed.

Seeing Gene fire off to the side, he traced it, expecting Federation forces to be over there. Instead, he only destroyed a single Federation jeep before his fire tore into increasing lines of civilians. Denim only cursed and immediately closed the distanced to backhand Gene's Zaku II.

"You idiot!" the obelfeldbwal shouted at the korporal, "Check your targets! Those were civilians!"

Machine cannon fire cut off any further argument and both went back to the business of destroying Federation military vehicles and defense points.

* * *

Kira and several engineers were desperately trying to get the final unit ready for shipment. As the first units had been already loaded up and one full combat ready unit had been removed on its trailer. Kira was in the cockpit, a pretty technician about eight years his senior in age with him as they both added finishing touches. The poor technician had been called right on over and instead of the usual slacks she wore, she was wearing a skirt that had fallen down over her bent over form as she frantically tried to finish connecting various components and then add new ones in for her to wire as Kira worked hard to get the various systems to work together in the mobile suit's OS.

A small blast occurred near a corner and the tech yelped as she righted herself suddenly, banging her head on a part of the roof and promptly fell across Kira, disrupting his work.

"Angie?!" Kira gently turned the woman over to find she was still breathing, but she had a nasty cut on her head.

"What happened?" a guard stuck his head in and saw a bit of smoke suddenly appearing, "SMOKE!" he went at it, with Kira helping.

The smoke was several things at once. A soldering tool that Angie had been using had fallen, still on, and was trying to burn through some material. That material then melted a little, catching some exposed wiring and shortening them out in a couple of places. The last was Angie herself that was slightly smoking.

Kira used a fire extinguisher to attack the material and shorted wiring, preventing a fire. He also shut off the soldering tool and placed it safely up and away from anything else. With that taken care of, he turned to find that the guard had torn away Angie's skirt and was ruthlessly beating it with his foot as it had lit up a little.

"I got it!" the guard moved back as Kira hit it with the extinguisher, putting out what was left of Angie's skirt.

"What happened?" another guard had run up followed by a couple of mechanics.

"Shrapnel," the first guard replied, getting the piece of metal out of the remains.

Kira checked Angie for injury and winced when he saw that her bottom had been more or less slapped by the shrapnel, burning her flesh after tearing the seat of her panties. Kira did not look forward to hearing that explanation when her compensation showed up on the desk of whoever would have to sign off.

Garments, yeah, understandable.

A piece of shrapnel to the ass, leaving only both a welt and a burn, that was going to require some fast talking.

"It'd be easier for her if it had been-" a burst of fire tore into the building from close range and the guards and mechanics dropped to the catwalk while Kira shielded Angie from even more shrapnel.

When the five looked up, where the four outside the mobile suit had originally been for each, was now shot -literally!- to hell. Dead and wounded lay all about, some of the latter quiet while others screamed themselves hoarse. It was the worst thing any of them had seen, well, Kira had seen worse, but this was still bad.

"I need help," Kira stated and the two mechanics called for another tech, Angie's lover no less, and the woman stormed up the stairs to see Angie getting passed out, gauze on her head and bottom and simply froze at the sight of the unconscious woman.

"Rebecca now!" Kira yanked the woman into the mobile suit as Angie joined the other wounded heading for _White Base_, the safest point on the battlefield at this point.

* * *

In the space outside of Side 7, the two sides collided with an exchange of gunfire. The Federation's FF-S3 Saberfish space fighters and TS-MA2 Moebius Mobile Armor versus the Zeon MS-06F Zaku II. There were twelve fighters, four Mobile Armor, and then the three Zakus going at it at the moment.

The two sides passed by at high speed, exchanging fire resulting in a Saberfish being destroyed, but the pilot was able to eject and was quickly rescued by a rescue boat. Then the two sides turned and came back at one another, but here, the fighters broke up as the mobile armor stayed in loose formation, wary of the Red Comet suddenly joining. The three Zakus made the mistake of trying to go after one of the prongs and instead found themselves surrounded, one nearly being caught in a deadly crossfire of 25mm and 40mm cannon fire. Then as the pilot started to go after a Moebius that got too close, she failed to see the Saberfish come up from 'below' her and fire a pair of missiles into the now briefly exposed leg joints.

The young woman screamed as her mobile suit was rocked by the twin explosions that tore the lower half of the Zaku to pieces in a fiery blast even as she managed to reach for and grab the eject handle and she was flung from her mobile suit seconds before the cockpit was turned into an incinerator.

She too was rescued by a rescue boat, this one belonging to the Zeon side.

The two remaining Zakus pulled back, surprised by what had happened, though they were able to avoid the fatal mistake by the timely arrival of a fourth Zaku, still missing his shoulder armor and shield and pieces of the hip and skirt armor. The unfinished Zaku came in with a slashing attack, but three Saberfish had hung back and alerted their comrades to the new unit. The remaining twelve pilots immediately dodged the infamous Heat Hawk and the Zaku's machine gun. While the pilot hadn't gotten a kill in, one of the Saberfish made the mistake of getting too close to the _Schleswig_. The ship's anti-aircraft guns came to life and this one being a Zeon _Laurasia_-class, that meant additional emplacements on its board back and open ventral.

The pilot was smashed through the heart by a heavy caliber slug that killed him instantly even as his fighter was reduced to high speed confetti.

Another Zaku then launched from the _Holstein_, this one completed.

The leading fighter pilot simply snorted as they managed to snuff out that unfinished Zaku with a three way pincer.

On his ship, Char noted the improved tactics and coordination among the Federation pilots.

* * *

_**Back in Side 7...**_

Gene and Denim were firing their machine guns, both of them having different styles of combat in this entirely one-sided affair. Gene was firing recklessly, while Denim had the decency and discipline towards the civilian lives by firing at those that were guilty of combat. It was a big deal for Denim to avoid the fleeing civilians, though Gene had no such reservations, none whatsoever.

As they shot at Missile Cars, the prototypes of Mobile Suits, and even things that they shouldn't in Gene's case, Amuro was busy paying the battlefield no attention while reading a manual for a new model Mobile Suit, though he was brought back to reality with the arrival of his friend Fraw.

"Amuro?!" Fraw had separated from her family to run over to the boy. She could see where a hanger lift had been, but only a blacken mess remained, though the lift itself was still intact miraculously. At least he was responding to her as he stood up, tucking some kind of book away, "We have to hurry up and get out of here!" she grabbed him by the arm and began to lead him away.

Meanwhile, a light MLRS launched a tow missile at the Zakus. Both had advanced into the research base's perimeter, one standing near some debris of what had been a prototype and the other on a small hill. The missile, despite the tracker's best ability was simply ducked and he failed to hit either as the missile crashed to crater the base. Counter fire came at once from the Zaku on the hill.

The shots were wide, missing vehicles, buildings, and even the wrecked and intact prototypes, but various personnel and even civilians were not so lucky.

Many civilians had dropped down, some finding some form of cover as explosions tore apart the area and hurled debris into the air. A child then stood up and shouted at the Zakus to 'stop it.' It was unlikely that they heard him.

Fraw was practically molding herself into Amuro in fear as she spoke his name in fear, but he didn't hear her. Instead he spotted a trailer with a white and blue painted mobile suit on it and three armored suited men standing near the vehicle and its cargo. One was trying to direct the situation and that was the one he focused on.

"Go to the spaceport and take your family," he told Fraw as he took off.

"Amuro!" Fraw's cry was heard by Shirin and she came to a stop, Marina also stopping and turning to see her aide start heading to a young girl she had seen speak to Kira on several occasions, so she followed as well.

Then Fraw heard her mother as the two women arrived and began to lead her off with the rest of the civilians.

As Amuro neared his father talking to a soldier, he could hear what they were saying. He heard his father inquire about an elevator and was told it was for evacuees, but he started to argue. He pretty much demanded that one of his mobile suits take priority. That way they could take it to White Base and prepare to fight back against the Zeon. The soldier acknowledged and saluted and moved to get the trailer started.

"Come on dad can't you hear me!" Amuro shouted and Tem Ray turned in surprise to see his son running to him.

"Huh? Amuro?!" the man couldn't understand why his son was there, "Why aren't you evacuating?"

Amuro didn't even stop for breath, "Listen dad! Are mobile suits more important than human beings?"

Turning away, Lt. Ray simply said, "Get a move on," it was unknown whether it was to his son or the soldier.

"Dad stop!" Amuro demanded.

Turning back to his son, "I want you to get up to _White Base_ now!" he growled out the order.

Amuro leaned back more in confusion than shock or surprise, "What is White Base dad?"

"It's the new warship that just docked," Tem said as he faced forward, before turning and snapping at the soldier, "What's taking so long!"

The soldier was trying everything before he reported, "The engine won't start!" he looked more exacerbated than scared.

Stepping forward, but turning back to his son briefly, "Get to _White Base_ immediately," he told Amuro before turning back to the soldier, "I'll find a tractor," and took off running to find one.

"But dad I..." Amuro trailed off, seeing his father's running form leaving as Amuro turned to leave, he saw the soldier jump out and quickly chase after his father as distant explosions and gunfire crackled, but then stopped cold at seeing the mobile suit's head, "So this is... their secret weapon," and he reopened the book and began going through pages, not hearing a shell closing in close until an explosion a few meters away occurred, knocking him off his feet and showering him in debris and dirt as he struggled to get back up once it was over.

"Amuro! Hurry!" he suddenly heard Fraw through the pain and looked up to see her jump a guard rail with the basketball sized green ball form of Haro following her and two women seemed to see her take off after him and chased after her as well, "Amuro!" the four hadn't gotten halfway down the embankment when an explosion threw them the rest of the way down, crashing and rolling after the explosion behind them.

Amuro gasped as he launched himself up, "FRAW BOW!" Haro rolling by him unharmed, as Fraw and the two women covered their heads and moved into the fetal position as he raced over to his longtime friend.

Debris continued to rain, but Amuro intrepidly used the manual as a makeshift shield against it as he rushed to Fraw's side, calling her name and gently shaking the frightened teenage girl.

"Fraw Bow! Please can you hear me?! Fraw Bow!" Amuro shouted in panic and then... she moved under her own power, "Amuro?" she said, frightened and shaken.

"Are you two alright?" Shirin and Marina were by the two's side, having grown up with the occasional conflict in the Middle East, for whatever reason, they were more used to explosions and how to survive unharmed from nearby ones.

"I'm alright," Amuro replied turning to her before going back to Fraw, "Can you stand?"

"Yeah," the girl replied weakly, preparing to turn to look, only to see Marina blocking her view, the dark haired princess shaking her head, "Mom? Grandfather?" she still looked, as though looking through Marina to see their still forms laying with others.

Amuro didn't know if he was lucky or not. Shirin saw that he had an unobstructed view of the carnage and immediately pulled the shocked boy to her, hiding his face from the devastation.

Fraw nevertheless got up and ran past Marina who tried to stop the Germanic girl, but Fraw would not be stopped. She soon was past and ran over to her mother's still form, collapsing atop her and crying out once she saw that both her grandfather and mother were both dead.

Amuro walked over to her, "Come on Fraw, you need to go before they get you too," he pulled the protesting girl to her feet.

"NOOO!" she shouted, but then Amuro slapped her a couple of times.

"Get a grip, you're stronger than that," he held the crying girl up as Marina and Shirin walked up, their four bodyguards groaning and somehow getting up, one holding a shell shocked little girl as two wounded groaned.

"We need to leave Princess Marina," the detail leader emerged from some debris, his arm bent at an angle it wasn't meant to, "Don't worry, we won't leave the living, but we need to also survive ourselves."

"Yes..." Marina swallowed bile that had built up in her throat, this was why she hated war and promoted peace so passionately, "Come now, we can make it to the spaceport from here," she took Fraw by the arm and began to lead her off, the poor crying teenager barely able to step at all, let alone run, but she was managing, "Good girl, let's go."

"Fraw Bow I'll be there soon, run quickly!" tears in his eyes as they then hardened into determination, Amuro took off before anyone could stop him, heading straight for the mobile suit on its trailer.

He arrived quickly and just as quickly clambered up the ladder to board the trailer. Then he climbed up onto the prone mobile suit, sporting a tan tarp over the central torso. He pulled it back and looked inside to see lights on and the cockpit waiting for a pilot.

"Can you believe that? It's on," he said to himself as he jumped in, taking the pilot seat, before standing back up and retrieving the manual and then following it, he brought the machine of war online as the seat reclined and rotated, the hatch sealing now in front of him as the cockpit displays activated and he could see outside into the colony.

"Right, what next?" he began to flip through the manual.

* * *

Kira cursed as he sent Rebecca away. The guards had left and then returned with an armored suit for her. The bulky affair at least provided very good protection against shrapnel. The three then left as soon as Kira was sure they were done.

Another explosion and he heard over the comms that a Regina Launcher and its crew had been killed followed by a heavy machine gun and its crew too.

Kira heard someone tell him it was time to go and Kira responded, "Kira Yamato, Gundam Striker, moving out!"

"WHAT?!" the speaker was a soldier still in the hanger, "_Kira! You're not a-"_

"I _am _a mobile suit pilot," Kira retorted, cutting the man off, "Probably the only experienced pilot on the colony no less," he declared as he brought the Gundam Striker to full power and moved it forward, stepping out its cradle as remaining personnel scrambled to get out of the way as Kira piloted the Gundam to the damaged and ajar twin doors.

"_Kira!"_ the soldier tried in vain to stop the young man, "_There's a battle going on out there! You can't risk the Striker!"_

Kira didn't answer as he brought up the Gundam's hands, fingers finding purchase in between the open spaces. Kira then gave the command and the Gundam began to pull and though there was a moment of resistance, that's all there was. The Striker literally forced the doors open with the ear splitting sounds of screeching metal that warped and bent, but otherwise slid open to reveal the battlefield beyond.

Finishing pushing the doors open, Kira released them and walked the Striker out into the open artificial light of the colony refracting the real light of the Sol System's only star. It was painted primarily White with a Cobalt Blue torso with areas of Crimson Red. The paint scheme closely mimicked a few other Gundams, save for darker shades of blue and red as the RX-79S Gundam Striker stood glistening in the light as its purple eyes glowed briefly.

* * *

Denim immediately noticed the second mobile suit exit the hangar it was in. He was awed by the sheer strength of the mobile suit as it forced the badly damaged doors opened. The obelfeldbwal knew this was going bad as he slid down to Gene who was firing on what was thought to be another incomplete mobile suit.

Again Denim was startled to see that the 120mm machine gun rounds were doing nothing. It didn't even look like the paint was being scraped off either. He quickly reached out and grabbed Gene's weapon and forced it away as the other pilot stopped firing.

"We need to leave now!" Denim commanded, "Our mission was only recon and now we have two enemy mobile suits to worry about."

"What?! _A second enemy!?"_ Korporal Gene responded with some panic.

Spotting the mobile suit laying down on its back suddenly begin to stand, shakely at first, but it quickly began to find its footing. Gene didn't hesitate and started firing again, explosions rocking the mobile suit as it stood as rounds bounced -literally no less!- off the armor. Then Gene eased up to hurriedly reload a fresh drum magazine.

"We need to leave now Gene!" Denim tried to pull the insubordinate pilot's Zaku away, but Gene wasn't leaving.

"We can't leave now!" the younger pilot shouted back irate and Denim could detect the sudden fear in the man's voice, "We let them get away now, we may end up losing the war!"

Gene returned to firing, but by this time, the RX-78-2 Gundam was fully standing as a few rounds burst -literally again!- against the armor. Then the eyes flashed suddenly as inside Amuro brought a targeting system from standby around before him and he took careful aim, waiting and then...

"Take this you Zeon rats!"

He returned fire, a burst grazing the top of Gene's Zaku, ripping at the shoulders and the head, shearing pieces of metal away as he had been slow to dodge the burst of return fire.

Denim escaped unharmed having been quicker, but he could only growl as Gene began to engage again. The two suits trading 120mm and 76mm rounds between one another. The trading lasted only a few seconds as Amuro missed largely after the initial burst, but Gene's shots simply failed to do anything against the Gundam's tough armor. Then it was over, Amuro having inadvertently exhausted his CIWS ammo.

"He's out of ammo Gene, let's go!" Denim tried again to pull Gene away, but the korporal was too frightened to listen and again shrugged off his superior and began to walk slowly forward towards the Gundam.

"Yeah, you're out of ammo aren't you, hehe," Gene was sweating as badly, if not more so than Amuro was right now, "I don't care here thick your armor is, hehe," Zaku was soon before the Gundam, "At this range I'll defeat you," he aimed the machine gun to point blank range and was about to pickle the trigger when the Gundam suddenly put a hand flush against the tip of the barrel and then used its other hand to punch the weapon into the air much to Gene's sudden surprise and terror.

"I've got you now!" Amuro shouted as he piloted Gundam to lash out and grab the Zaku by the face mounted extended ventilator on the head, just below the mono-eye sensor and then with a powerful punch from the free hand, hit the Zaku with incredible force, the metal failing under the force of the blow as the armor buckled and cracked as the Zaku was forced flying back, Gene screaming the whole way, as the distinctive piece of his Zaku's head was literally torn off, the terrifying mono-eye falling out of place to smash into the ground, breaking up and shattering on impact.

The Zaku flew back, trailing debris from damaged areas before crashing into a building, the building collapsing due to battle damage and the sudden kinetic transfer of energy from the uncontrolled flight plus the sheer 60 tons of Zaku that crashed into it.

"Gene!" Denim began to move forward when he detected something off to his right and barely dodged the incoming 76mm rounds from the Striker, "Damn! The other one!"

Dodging the fire and curious as to why when he saw the weapon in its hand, but saving it for later, Denim reached the downed Zaku as he tossed a Smoke Grenade. The smoke wouldn't last for long as he helped to pull the Zaku of Gene back onto its feet. He sighed with relief that Gene was only battered and bruised at worse as he opened a comlink to the younger pilot as he provided cover fire against both Gundams.

"Are you alright Gene? Can you get back to the ship on your own?"

"_Yeah, I can still see with the back up camera, I'll be fine,"_ and with that Gene engaged his vernier and began to jump away, but Amuro was having none of it.

"There's got to be another weapon, come on!" he flipped through the manual and looked at the controls, "This should work," he activated the beam sabers.

The Gundam reached up and grabbed a beam saber and then began a running charge as Denim turned back to the suddenly charging white mobile suit.

"I don't think so!" Denim opened fire, but the Gundam then leaped into the air, passing easily over Denim who could only stare up in shock as he couldn't bring his weapon to follow the Federation mobile suit in time.

Gene heard the proximity detector and looked behind him with one of the rear mounted cameras and he could only scream in terror as Gundam closed the distance easily to slash through the Zaku, bisecting the mobile suit, but also the Minovsky Fusion Reactor by mistake.

Moments after the Gundam had landed in a low crouch, sword still outstretched, Gene's bisected Zaku began to fall, but then exploded from the badly damaged reactor. The explosion was so powerful that the ground burst into flame seconds before the colony's hide was breached by the same explosion. Immediately, the surrounding area began to depressurize as equipment and wreckage was sucked out into space, along with Tem Ray and the soldier that had been with him much to Amuro's later mortification.

Immediately, automatic systems engaged and emergency sealant balls were released to be sucked into the gaping hole and plug it up. The damage for the time being, was averted from being the death of the colony. Nevertheless, the colony was severely damaged and had lost considerable amounts of air before the emergency system had kicked and this was further delayed as a result of battle damage. The resulting damage though, wasn't so severe that the colony couldn't eventually be fully repaired, though it would take years to achieve that.

That wasn't on the mind of Denim as he cursed. Gene was dead, killed by what was clearly becoming an inhuman monster, but Denim felt he could still win. If the Zaku machine gun wasn't working, the Heat Hawk would as he drew his Zaku's melee weapon, intent on charging the new Federation mobile suit.

"I'll get you!" Denim charged, not because he was mad or angry, but because he felt the need to avenge his comrade's death. Gene had stopped being a threat, so he should have been left alone, that was what ran through Denim's mind. It was how he was understood how to fight a war, and given the heavily Central European, especially Prussian, heritage of Zeon, many thought that way. He would avenge Gene's death and still achieve a victory here.

"The other one!" Amuro looked on in terror at the charging Zaku, "Can I hit it without completely destroying it?" Amuro was beginning to suffer a full blown panic attack as he tried to bring the Gundam's beam saber around, "Can I disable it by just hitting the cockpit?" he was doubting himself as the sweat covered his face, running from his brow to his chin, he ignored the stinging sensation to his eyes from the salt laden water as he took careful aim, he had only one chance to do this right.

As Denim's Zaku closed in, Amuro waited, trying to calm down, but so intently focused that he ignored everything around him...

"THERE!" Amuro thrust forward and in another world, he would have succeeded, but here Denim had already guessed Amuro's move and immediately jetted back and Amuro missed completely and was suddenly off balance and vulnerable, "NO!"

"I've got you!" Denim snarled before he heard the proximity alarm from behind him, "THE SECOND ONE!" he suddenly remembered too late as a beam spear stabbed into the Zaku's back, running out through the front, right through the cockpit as Denim's last thoughts came to mind before he was incinerated by the magnetically contained raw energy, '_Slender, get the data back to the commander and hurry!'_

Kira only looked at the sight before him. That had been one of the honorable Zeon pilots, likely a sergeant of some years. It was a sad thing, as he was able to confirm that most of the damage had been the other pilot's doing, not this one, but he had to protect the Gundam, the colony, and finally all the civilians fleeing to their one sanctuary, _EFS White Base_.

"Such is war," the battle hardened Akira Yamashiro stated as he pulled his weapon back, the Zaku collapsing, effectively dead as Kira Yamato looked to the Gundam that held Amuro, still extended, but at least not sprawled like so many others as it drew itself back up to its full height, weapon deactivating as the saber was stored away.

Kira stored away the spear, the weapon collapsing for easy storage on the back.

* * *

Bright Noa watched the civilians were placed with-in the lift and spoke to a man off to his side, "Is that the last of them?"

"For here yes sir," the man replied before he checked something.

"How's the colony doing?" Bright asked next, wondering if they still had time.

"The emergency systems have kicked and the colony has stopped losing air," the man replied again, checking and triple checking all the readings, "Though I don't want to be around forever until that's fixed either."

"Same here," then he turned as he felt the trembling thumps of the two gundams approaching, "Have the two gundams assist as well with moving personnel and equipment."

"Sir?" the man looked confused.

"We've suffered heavy losses, we'll need the help of whoever is piloting those suits," Bright stated as he stepped out of the ruined lift area, careful to avoid the charred remains of an officer, "We got a long way yet to go, hmm?" his attention was suddenly averted by a light quaking feel.

* * *

Amuro blinked and also looked in the same direction confused while Kira already knew what it was.

* * *

Out in space, two missiles streaked in, destroying the command area of the colony. Several men and women were first tossed back and then their remains sucked out by the vacuum of space. The control area of the docking control was simply a mess and the outer colony command center was a darkened mess of bodies and dead equipment.

Meanwhile, on his ship, Char bit his upper lip in annoyance. This short recon had turned into a costly battle. He had lost no less than _six _Zakus so far for only _twenty _enemy fighters and mobile armor. He couldn't believe what had happened and knew he had only himself to blame for the losses.

"Only an amatuer makes mistakes, but this time I can't deny that's what I've done," as behind him he heard the report as two missiles left his ship, _Musai_-class CC-102 _FZMS Falmel_.

The missiles streaked in followed by four more missiles from the two accompanying frigates.

* * *

_**Thrown back into war, Kira Yamato decides to keep hidden his identity as Akira Yamashiro. His war is over, but he is clearly a well taught and experienced pilot as he helps guides the nervous Amuro Ray into war against the feared Red Comet. Can he keep his secret and return home, protecting the ship and its inexperienced crew of misfits and remaining personnel while facing an enemy he has never personally fought?**_

_**Char on the other hand refuses to let the **_**White Base** _**and its Gundams escape from Side 7. He endeavors to throw everything he has into this fight to stop the Federation's new mobile suits and ship from escaping. Can he succeed? Or will he fail against the awesome might of the Federation's newests weapons?**_

_**The ultimate question remaining...**_

_**Who will survive?**_

_**Come to life and fight back Gundam!**_

* * *

**A/N:**

**And I'm back to my solo work!**

**Sorry for the long wait, but I've been working double time on things. Now I'm back in the game and this is one of them!**

**Now this isn't going to be easy as any of you can probably guess. On top of that, my Net at home is down again, so already I'm way behind, but this makes it worse. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.**

**Also, to the fella out there I promised a story to: this isn't it. I'm working on that, had to throw out everything in order to compensate for changes, sorry. Hopefully I'll have something soon.**

**Now, I've already gotten questions about Marina and Shirin and Azadistan. I'm writing the story so I'm coming up with the ideas, plus there will be a larger role here for Azadistan. So please hold off.**

**I will spoil you all though: Relena Peacecraft/Darlan will also be apart of the story. She'll be from the KoS naturally.**

**Also, like I've been doing a LOT lately, expect a taddy bit more realism in all this.**

**As for Kira: Those who know something, keep it to yerselves!**

**Right-o!**

**Now for the posting!**

**Specs to follow.**


	2. Destory Gundam

As fighters engaged in a vicious dogfight with Guul riding mobile suits, the announcement many had been waiting for finally began:

"_ZEON IS EXHAUSTED!"_

The three words would ring for years to come. As the fighter pilots pressed forward, using a speed advantage in their fighters to get into positions faster than the largely space born opponents could respond to as the speech continued. It was a promise of a new nation, a truly unified government on Earth to spread the wings of peace and prosperity for all mankind.

A squadron of space borne fighters came in, but the mobile suits were only maneuverable. So with their speed advantage they came in, slashing as it was called, before turning on their afterburners and getting away for their next run. The mobile suits had been slow to respond, especially the heavy weapon carriers and several had been destroyed. Though now they were ready and turning to engage, but a second squadron came in from another angle, getting three, before boosting off to escape.

A Zeon officer shook his head, the battle was too costly to continue and ordered a retreat.

A supply check revealed how right the words were. Even ZAFT was running out of supplies and personnel. The war couldn't last forever or else they'd lose and thus a stalemate developed.

* * *

_**Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front**_

_**Destroy Gundam!**_

_**Into the Storm, Fight Gundam!**_

* * *

**Side 7**

**January 20th, CE 71**

The _Musai_-class _FZMS Falmel_, the Principality of Zeon's most distinctive Cruiser with its helmet-like bridge superstructure, approached a stationary colony of the Side 7 Colony Cluster. The largely still incomplete colony was no longer venting so much air from the damage it incurred from the destruction of a mobile suit's fusion reactor. Nevertheless, the _Falmel_ closed in on the nearing to be defenseless colony, the remains of the fighter and mobile armor squadrons floating before the warship and its escort of two Zeon refitted _Laurasia_-class Frigates, _FZMS Holstein _and _FZMS Schleswig_.

Flying at high speed ahead of the three ships were a pair of heavy missiles launched from the _Falmel_. As the two began their final approach, the Earth Federation soldiers opened up with defensive missiles. One Federation missile quickly found its mark and destroyed one missile in the center of its body. The other closed in, but another defensive bunker nailed that one with its second missile.

"I don't care if we have to use civilians!" a gunner shouted back to a fellow soldier, taking his attention away from the battle, "We need all the help we can get!" then his computer began chiming and he looked back, "OH NO! LOOK OUT!" he shouted in horror as another heavy missile broke through the defensive fire and slammed into their bunker. The two were killed outright as the entire emplacement was destroyed, the stored defensive missiles exploding. The explosion largely flew out into open space, but the force also blew inward, tearing open an entire corridor.

"Dammit!" another Federation soldier shouted as he instinctively reached out and activated the emergency sealant balls that were pulled to opening, exploding on contact and sealing the breach for later repair.

The soldier wiped his arm against his armored helmet in response to what had just past. He forgot he was in a sealed armored space suit, but it hardly mattered and he went about getting the civilians evacuated. Luckily, none had been killed, though a few singed and would be in need of stitches later, but that was the worst of it.

"Help me find my baby!" a woman in another corridor shouted as she climbed about the Zero-Gee transit line looking for her child.

"Come back!" a soldier shouted before leaping off and grabbing her, "Get onboard _White Base_!"

"My baby!" she shouted in response.

In another of transit corridors, Fraw Bow was assisting in the evacuation, throwing a little blond girl in blue shorts and shirt with red boots and a red tie in her hair onto a transporter. Then two boys floated up, a dark haired boy in green shorts and shirt with brown boots and a dark red haired boy in a yellow shirt with a red Corduroy and brown shoes. She quickly grabbed both boys, getting the green dressed one onto the transporter while throwing in the red Corduroy boy.

"Hurry up and get on board!" she shouted to the boy, "Then quickly grab something and hold on!"

Then an explosion from another missile hit began to chain its way down the passageway behind them. Everyone onboard the transporter looked back in terror as the walls of flame and destruction shot their way. Terror gripping their hearts as they screamed, knowing they wouldn't get away at all.

Fraw turned closing her eyes, screaming as leading debris closed in. She covered her head with a hand, but she knew there was no escape. Then the sounds of something mechanical and the debris began beating itself against something of solid metal.

"_Fraw Bow, get onboard,"_ she opened her eyes as she turned to look at the source of Amuro's amplified voice and she couldn't believe what she was seeing!

"Look! It's a mobile suit!" the boy in the red Corduroy stated in awe surprised.

The red, white, and blue painted mobile suit leaned back. In one arm it held a number of large cannons as it used its free hand to support itself. The twin yellow eyes seemed to convey a sense of security to the small group of refugees as much as the bright and loud paint scheme did.

"Amuro is that you in that mobile suit?" Fraw questioned, surprised.

"_Get everyone out of here," _Amuro ordered instead, "_the colony is losing air."_

"Right," the brunette Germanic girl nodded as a beeping sound occurred and the transporter started moving, carrying its passengers to safety.

"_Amuro hurry it up!" _Kira Yamato shouted to Amuro Ray from his own mobile suit, "_I can't move all this equipment alone!"_

"_Right! I'm coming!"_

* * *

A hatch slid open and a round Federation soldier shoved off to reach the gunner of a missile battery. Another soldier shoved off from beside the gunner to reload the weapon emplacement. The round soldier had cadet markings on his collar as he reached the man with a much more distinguished marking on his collar and helmet.

"Captain I can take over here!" the round soldier shouted, his name tag placing him a R. Jose, "You should get back to the ship at once!"

Looking shocked and surprised, "But you're only a cadet!" Captain Paolo Cassius protested to the young cadet, "I need someone who can fire this thing!"

"I can do it sir," Cadet Jose responded and Captain Cassius could see that the man was serious.

With reluctance, the Captain rose up and began to leave the controls for the missile launcher, "Get on it then," as soon as he finished though, it became moot as a Zeon missile exploded just outside their bunker, catching both men and slamming them, Cassius back first against Jose, in a corner of the bunker.

As soon as they bounced back, Jose reached out and grabbed the control to seal the emergency armored shutter over the bunker before turning back to Captain Cassius only to gasp, "CAPTAIN!"

Despite his obviously grievous wounds, Captain Cassius managed to rasp out, "Are you alright?" with all the authority of his years as an officer.

Aside from his head and back, Cadet Jose floated up with a "Yes sir!" he gently grabbed the wounded officer and looked back, the other soldier was alive, but not for long, trapped under all the debris.

"Go," the dying man said before he gasped his last and then with a shuddering breath, passed to the next world.

"Dammit!" Cadet Ryu Jose cursed as he carried the terribly wounded ship's captain out of the ruined defensive bunker.

* * *

Leutnant Hugo Slender guided his MS-06F Zaku II into the underside hanger of the _Falmel_. On his way out from the still resisting Side 7, he had been spotted by some defensive gunners and had been caught in a crossfire of cannon fire from the colony. He managed to knock out several emplacements as he left, but those were on the far side of the colony, away from the missile barrage. Adding to that, he took a near missile hit that shook his Zaku and injured his right arm as he left.

After a quick check by the otherwise bored oberarzt down in sickbay, his arm was put into a sling and he was brought before Oberstleutnant Char Anzable himself, his superior.

"You have nothing to fear Slender," Char turned to the man and spoke as Slender came to attention, still dressed in his Zeon Green flightsuit, "You followed my orders and you followed Denim's, so you have nothing to worry about. Your discipline is admirable."

"Sir, thank you sir, I did my best," Slender released the salute now that he wasn't in trouble.

"But it is hard to believe that the Federation could build a mobile suit, let alone two, as described in your report Mister Slender," Char continued.

"Yes sir, it is hard to believe, but I saw it myself," Slender explained and Char only made a non-committed sound as he knew that Slender wasn't the kind to lie and Denim was a very good pilot, and NCO no less, so it had to be as Slender said.

"Dren," Char suddenly said.

"Sir?" Dren turned from Slender to his younger superior in red.

"Open a secure communication channel," Char ordered without a second thought, "Get in contact with Generaladmiral Dozle Zabi at once," Char ordered and Dren saluted and saw to it.

* * *

Kira off loaded a more or less intact spare RX-78 Gundam. The machine had been caught in its module state and had proven vulnerable in such a state, which was no surprise due to all the openings in it. He shook his head, the armor was thankfully intact, as were critical interior components, but aside from that it was just salvage material now... Well, at least until they got to Luna II which full repairs could be carried out.

He heard a young lady calling for someone to help tie bandages. He looked over to see it was Sayla Mass, the daughter of one of the few Federation civilian government officials. The two had met before when he had been on the moon and he thought she looked good, but left the matter alone as neither felt anything for the other.

"Though it's not like I can get involved now," he chuckled, looking at the picture he had taped to the console of his wife, son, and mother back on Heliopolis before poking at it a little, "I'm gonna be a little late, but I'll be home soon enough," then he went to get a few of the Striker's own Role Packs, so much like the Enforcer's own Striker Packs, but more in number and variety.

What were left anyways.

Amuro then showed up with an intact and combat ready RX-77 Guncannon. The two acknowledged one another as they continued to move supplies and equipment to _White Base_. Then Kira remembered he saw an intact and combat ready looking RX-75 Guntank just sitting off to side somewhere.

"Hey Amuro," Kira called out as he headed down the lift.

"_Yeah Kira?"_ the boy came back, he was doing better, at least no one had to die at the moment.

"Check Area B7 of the base, I'm sure I saw an intact mobile suit over there," then an idea struck Kira, "Also, if possible, we should also salvage that Zaku II, we could trade it if need be or leave it for Federation Intelligence to dissect later."

"_Trade?" _Amuro inquired confused at the use of that word.

Kira then remembered Amuro wasn't a Farer, he stayed pretty much on Side 7 since originally moving to the colony years ago, "Oh right, you're a Colonist not a Farer or Settler," Kira nodded in remembrance, "We could trade it to groups like the DSSD or the Junk Guild for whatever reason. So don't worry, I can talk with some of the groups out there so we can stay in parts and/or supplies or even trade for a safe route through an area if need be," Kira chuckled, "Even before the war, it was like a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and the Wild West up here in space."

"_I get it,"_ Amuro realized, "_A Zaku would be something someone could use or barter later, not a bad idea."_

"No doubt or I wouldn't have said anything Amuro," Kira chuckled at the boy's look, "Don't worry, give or take a few years of Moon living or gliding about the Black and you'll pick it up," Kira felt a pang of sadness, as he looked in the general direction of the Moon and wondered about the settlements on its surface.

* * *

"_We were all set to celebrate the successful completion of your mission, but I never expected _**you **_to be a no show for a party where you were the intended guest of honor _**Oberstleutnant **_Char Aznable!" _Generaladmiral Dozle Zabi shouted over the holo-comm, the very tall, broad shouldered, and rugged looking officer with a couple of scars on his face looked and sounded very crossed with his junior officer.

Char the Red Comet didn't miss a beat, "It looks like we uncovered the Federation's V-Project Generaladmiral, does this interest you?"

_"__What? The V-Project?"_ the generaladmiral sounded surprised at Char's declaration.

"Yes sir, they appear to have made their own _mobile suit__**s**_," Char emphasized that last two words and the very last one in plural form, "We have also identified a new Federation command ship, likely a carrier of some kind, as well Generaladmiral."

_"__Hahaha!"_ the built man laughed heartily, he could let Char's no show slide for an important reason such as that, _"Char the Red Comet has struck again!"_ he declared as well before changing posture, hands clasped behind his back,_ "So what else?"_

"As we return to port, we will have exhausted our supply of missiles and ammunition," Char explained, stating he was running low on supplies, though wording it in a way that will hopefully keep others at bay for some time before they get wise.

_"__So you will need re-supply for the final journey back,"_ Dozle had already translated and knew the truth, _"Consider it done."_

"Thank you sir," Char was thankful, but then he knew he had to drop the other shoe and it was going to be an issue as he couldn't cover it up, "We'll also need about a half dozen more Zakus sir."

_"__You mean to tell me you that you lost six Zaku mobile suits Char?"_ Dolza leaned forward into the communication camera, showing his annoyance and displeasure at hearing that.

"Yes sir, but not all at once and three are just not repairable under field conditions," Char grimaced, hopefully the generaladmiral would send him several more than he actually asked for with that information, "We lost three to improved enemy training and tactics, but two were actually lost to just _one _enemy mobile suit," it was a little white lie to impress the situation upon the generaladmiral, "It was unbelieveable sir."

Dozle calmed as he leaned back knowing that the mobile suit testbeds in Federation service were now taking as many as two Zakus to defeat and he felt, unlike his brother Chancellor Gihren Zabi, that it was more to do with lack of experience and training, both of which were improving.

"_Very well, you'll get your Zakus,"_ he said at last, "_I'll ask ZAFT if they have a team in your area as well, but I want a report on all the details when you return, plus get as much information on this V-Project as you can and see if you can't capture those mobile suits while you're at it," _he didn't make the last one an order, only a request to be carried out if possible, a difference both men knew and for which Char was thankful for.

"Thank you sir," Char stood back and saluted formally to his superior before Dolza Zabi signed off to get to his end of the work, then turning to Dren, "Kaptian mobilize three Recon Scouts and move the ships into gunnery range."

"Sir is that wise?" Dren immediately protested, knowing even with Kommando-class space sleds and extra tanks plus personal vernier packs, it was risky, plus their supplies and mobile suits...

"Aren't we going to wait for the supply ship?"

"In war you must think three or four moves ahead of the enemy," Char stated, quoting long dead military commanders and ancient maxims, "Slender escaped from Side 7, we'll do the same," here Char smirked, "However we're going to do it in reverse."

Realizing the lost cause it was, but also seeing what Char had in mind, Dren gave the orders and it wasn't long before all three ships were moving in close as Slender briefed Char and the Recon Scouts on what he had discovered.

* * *

"Amuro you got that second Guntank up yet?" Kira had secured the last of the salvageable Role Packs for his Gundam into a section of the main hanger.

"_I'm coming up now," _Amuro replied, though annoyed, he knew Kira was just concerned as the first Guntank had its torso and head cockpits gutted along with the remains of the two test pilots who had been in them, "_This one was in a warehouse so it's unharmed, but I think the brakes are engaged and locked."_

"As long as you can move it, the brakes can be fixed later," Kira responded as he stepped his Gundam Striker out to collect the various parts and supplies he found and loaded onto intact trailers and pulled after him.

He had a feeling they might not have enough for weeks to come.

"_Come in Gundam and Gundam Striker,"_ the voice from earlier who told them to gather the surviving parts and supplies, "_Do you read me, over?"_

"A couple of centuries since we left Earth and you would think by now we would have something new," Kira joked with Amuro who chuckled before both responded to the hail.

What they heard next was not expected.

* * *

"Something wrong Mister Bright?" Captain Paolo Cassius inquired, looking over from his medical gurney.

"That's Amuro and Kira in the cockpit?" Bright Noa apparently didn't hear his superior.

"Bright what is the problem?" the ship captain pressed the young officer.

Remembering himself and turning to his captain to report, "Kids captain. There are two kids in the cockpits of the Gundams sir."

"What!? But how?" the captain looked as startled as he felt.

Mirai Yashima, a brown haired young woman of Japanese heritage turned from the helm controls to take a look for herself. She knew of Amuro of course, father was a military researcher and that the young teen took after in tinkering with technology and was considered a child prodigy in the field of technology. She really didn't know Kira Yamato anymore like she once did, having known the boy for years since his father was a cousin of her's in fact. Now she didn't, not since his once happy family fell apart and she re-met him when he first moved to Side 7.

"So that's Amuro," she could now put a face to the name as Bright stood to the side to reveal the two young teens.

"You know them Miss Yashima?" the captain inquired as he leaned up to look at her.

"Amuro I know of by reputation, they say he's a prodigy and whiz kid as well as the son of a military engineer," she stated, still looking at the two boys and finding it nerve wracking how both sat so comfortable in their mobile suits, "Kira is a relative of mine, but he has changed a little since then, though he's a Settler turned Colonist from the Orb Union's Heliopolis colony and employed by the Federation as a programmer here on Side 7."

"I can confirm that," Lieutenant Brubaker spoke up in pain, his battered wounded form beside one of the control stations, "Rumor also says he's also an ex-Combat Coordinator from the Enforcers and was lead programmer on the Striker no less."

"So one of our technicians survived," the captain sounded pleased.

"_I sent some wounded towards _White Base _before I launched, didn't anyone make it?" _Kira inquired as Amuro muttered something about knowing Bright's voice.

"I'll check, but it is a mess right now," Bright informed him before switching over to being a commander by default, he was the only available officer left after all, "We're preparing to leave, have you finished recovering all intact units?"

"_Negative," _Kira responded, "_There's too much scattered about and a lot is just plain scrap now."_

Then suddenly explosions could be heard as the dock began to shake and rumble. They could all feel and they all knew what it was too. It was the Zeon ships and they were bombarding Side 7.

"Looks like another attack," Mirai stated, rather calm, though she did sound a bit nervous, understandable.

"Amuro needs to be at least dealt with," Bright looked back to his captain, but he knew the truth, "But we need to use both Gundams to hold them off."

The captain though, needed information, "Operator what's attacking us?" he called for the information, thankfully the colony's own sensors were still intact and they were able to plug in and pierce any jamming.

"Sir!" Cadet Omar Fang shouted from his new post of operator, "It appears to be a _Musai-_class Cruiser approaching quickly at 40 degrees off the port stern."

With a pained sound and knowledge of what needs to be done, "Destroy any V-Project components Mister Noah and I want you to issue beam rifles to the Gundams."

"Huh?" Bright took a moment to put it through his head.

"It's true that our pilots are very young, but we have had teenage soldiers before and right now we have no choice!" the Captain Cassius suddenly lost his battle with the pain he was in and Bright Noah knew he had no choice, but to follow orders, they were in a mess.

"Aye aye sir," he replied with professionalism and a salute, "If it can't be retrieved then it has to be destroyed," Bright turned to and ordered at once, "Can you achieve that?"

"_What?! why?"_ Amuro protested at once, "_We can make more if we leave them!"_

"Would you rather our enemies get our secrets?" Bright countered at once.

"That's strange," Omar suddenly reported, "The _Musai_-class and its _Luarasia _escorts are pulling back."

Before anyone could say anything, Kira knew what that meant, "Commandos!" he shouted, "Enemy commandos must have infiltrated the colony!"

"Great," Bright growled, "Any idea how to destroy all remaining components and equipment quickly?"

"_If we use the Super Naplam, one could do it, two would ensure it," _Amuro stated as he read through the manual missing Bright smacking his head in disbelief.

"_You do realize that he read that for a just a few moments before defeating a Zaku II in single combat right?"_ Kira chasized Bright with that knowledge and Bright just looked shock, the same feeling the ship's bridge.

"He fought a Zaku II and won?" someone muttered off to the side in awe.

"_A rookie pilot, yes, but the veteran sergeant almost got him, but the guy was being wary of me," _Kira shrugged as he finished that, "_Nevertheless, he lost his Situational Awareness and I was able to run him through," _several people sounded relieved at that as they spoke in relief, "_I ordered Amuro to recover the Zaku earlier, one of the reasons why we've been so slow, but it was largely intact and could prove its weight in platinum until we get somewhere safe."_

"Excellent free thinking young man," Captain Cassius nodded in approval, "Intelligence could make use of it or we could trade it for safe passage or even supplies."

"_Yes sir, thank you sir,"_ Kira responded, though he could see the armored officer shaking his head, '_Talk about green.'_

* * *

"Talk about seasoned," Char turned a piece of debris in his hand, "Someone knew how to turn out the lights."

Char stood next to a bombed out building. He could tell that it was destroyed after the departure of his last scouting Zaku. Whoever did it, knew how to torch the place good. From what was left, he could tell it was used for researching the vital computer tech components. Beyond that, he held little hope of retrieving even a manufacturer's basic data. The parts he found were scrap, pure and simple and the building bombed to hell.

"You men find anything?" Char radioed his team, it was risky, but from the looks of it, a lot safer and quicker than going to look for his men.

"_Found where they had one of the mobile suits sir,"_ one man reported, "_It must have been the one that got Denim sir,"_ Char only mentally grunted, and now that he thought about it, where was Denim's Zaku?

"Anyone see Denim's Zaku anywhere?" he immediately inquired.

"_I think I see where it went down,"_ another scout reported as he observed from his place, "_Looks like it was recovered already, odd they would spare the time and effort."_

"_If they didn't turn out the lights, our guy did," _the third member reported, "_Geez, did we ever get someone green!" _then Char heard machine gun fire over the comms suddenly, "_Aw crap! I just found some Federation soldiers and technicians and they got me pinned!"_

"Can you get away?" Char immediately inquired, "No point in sticking your head too far out."

"_Already am sir!"_ he could hear the scout return fire, "_Okay, I'm clear, found a bullet hole from one of our Zakus- huh? Sir I can see you from here and 200 meters northwest of you is a field of largely intact wrecked mobile suits!"_

"Roger that, good eyes, I'm on it, now get out of there," Char heard and even saw the grenade explosion, "Status!" he demanded

Coughing filled Char's comms, "_That was uncomfortably close, but I'm moving to a new local, be careful everyone."_

Three replies were made, Char included. This kind of operation, everyone had to make sure they did it smartly. Otherwise none of them would be returning or returning empty handed. It was always a risk with commando recon, but it often paid dividends.

It took Char only a few moments to jet over to the wrecks that were reported to him. He had 'skated' low, keeping as low to the ground as possible and making sure he didn't get up a tail of dust and debris. Once he arrived, he was stunned by how battered the components were and how intact their insides were. This was a major find!

"Okay, I'm on site," he reported to his team, "These wrecks are in pretty rough shape, but best I've seen and now I wish we brought a couple of Zakus," he stood near an intact chest section, "Intel will have to make do with what we can carry," he heard typing from one man, another reported he was checking empty shelters, and the third reported extreme civilian causalities that fitted with Slender's report, "Damn, anything on the better news?"

"_Yes sir!"_ it was the second man, "_I've found some documents in a building that was badly burned out, some areas are still burning, but I think we can use these- hmm?" _Char didn't like that sound, "_Looks like I got a name for one unit, Striker, a late start project sir," _Char continued his own scouting as his man read the documents, "_Made from what is essentially cast off equipment, but they were considering a multirole capable mobile suit and- that's definitely not good."_

"_What is it?" _the third man inquired, "_Hey! I found some intelligence reports on our own Zakus, namely the OS and their systems," _the third man was surprised, "_Looks like they were trying to make high performance mobile suits a Natural could use to supersede the raw abilities of the GINN and CQUE, how nice of them."_

The sarcastic remark was not out of place. Zeon and ZAFT soldiers were starting to get at each other's throats. The Zeon were highly professional, but also mostly filled with Naturals. ZAFT on the other hand was informal at best and full of mostly Coordinators. What really got at the two was how Zeon soldiers looked down on the militia nature of ZAFT and bristled at how ZAFT soldiers mocked any and all Natural soldiers.

Zeon soldiers weren't alone, as even the Oceania Union soldiers also bristled at ZAFT's hot air and bluster.

"_Then this should be good news as well as being bad news," _the second man responded, "_Striker is based off an Enforcer mobile suit and is only a more higher tuned unit, lead programmer is a Coordinator named Kira Yamato," _the other three Zeon soldiers were all Naturals, but they weren't upset about it as skill was skill, "_Says in his personnel packet that he's a Settler turned Colonists from Orb, has a wife and kid, lives with his mother still- oh! That's why. Father divorced his mother, things got messy, ran away for a while, and then returned home with a wife and kid,"_ they could hear the wince when he spoke next, "_From what I'm seeing, he was crippled somehow, needs a cane to get around."_

"_That bites," _the first man then found something, "_I got data! Not a whole lot, but I got data!" _and Char smiled, they were professional, but badly mauled as he jumped from the head of a wrecked artillery mobile suit and began to check out the wreck of a mid range support type's head, "Collect it and let's-" as he bent down to pick up a part...

"Don't. Move." a young lady's voice ordered and he turned, he could hear his men calling to him, but he was able to tone the volume down as he looked over to her, hearing the cocking of a gun, "Drop it. Now," she ordered and he complied.

He then stood up, to his full height as he observed the blonde in a pink coat and pants, "You're brave," he admitted as he eyed her, "But! You don't look like much of a soldier, are you," it was a statement of fact as he then took a step forward, but she spoke back strongly.

"Move and I'll shoot," and he recoiled, not from the command, but from her face.

"She looks just like..." he began, but then she began to order him again.

"Take off the helmet and mask," Sayla Mass ordered, "Very slowly, then face the other way."

"_Sir!" _one of the scouts could be heard over the comms, the sound of his vernier pack being active, "_I can be there shortly, hang on and buy time!"_

Char did that, taking off his helmet slowly with a grunt. He ideally wondered as he put it under his arm and brought his right hand up to rip his mask off, if it was her? If so, would she recognize him? He couldn't stop his musings on the what ifs that were now presented before him.

Sayla watched the mask get pulled off by the blonde in a the vermillion suit and gray mask. Then she saw his face and immediately lost her composure. His face was full of burning defiance and determination, but she'll know it anywhere.

'_Casval?!'_ her thoughts ground to a halt and Char took advantage of it to lash out with a powerful kick.

Sayla backed away immediately from the enemy soldier. At the same time, Char also backed up. His own disbelief clear on his face. He also couldn't hear the warning from his scouting team with his helmet off and the comms turned down low.

"It can't be her," Char mumbled to himself, "She's much, _much _too strong to be Artesia."

At that moment he heard something off to the side. Turning to it, he saw it was the Gundam sliding down the hillside. Next to it, a lift was going up, carrying the last of the surviving soldiers and technicians and undoubtedly civilians as well.

* * *

In the cockpit of the Gundam, Amuro blinked, "A Zeon soldier?"

He had the Super Naplam -what a corny name he thought!- under one arm and beam rifle in the opposite hand. He had been told to expect enemy commandos, but he hadn't been expecting to find one this close to the lifts and wasn't that the girl they called Sayla near him?

A glint caused him to look down between them. A discarded Federation Army pistol lay between the two. That pretty much answered that question.

Then he watched as Sayla tried to tackle the Zeon soldier and failed to do so as the man leaped back and then hit his vernier, taking to the air and replacing his helmet as well as something else as he did so.

Amuro immediately reacted, bringing the Beam Rifle around and pulling the targeting scope before his eyes, but all he could was watch as the Zeon soldier flew around a wrecked building and escape from him.

"_That was a bad move Amuro," _Kira's voice startled him, the sound and sight of him firing his CIWS made it clear he had run into Zeon soldiers too, "_Never use the beam rifle on individual or small groups of enemy infantry,"_ Kira stopped firing, "_Damn! They are experienced and quick,"_ then turning his attention back to Amuro, "_Always use CIWS on them, it works better."_

"R-right!" Amuro replied, nervous and chastised for his mistake, but he at least made up for it by reporting the encounter, even adding in the uniform color.

Then he stepped the Gundam forward to the young blonde girl.

"I'm gonna use the Super Naplam," he announced to her and she turned to him, then leaned his mobile suit down and stuck out its hand, "Please climb into my hand so that we can escape," he saw her begin to stand up, "We need to destroy all mobile suit material and then head back to _White Base_," and the girl began walking to his hand, stepping into it.

"_Amuro," _Mister Noah's voice came over the radio, "_Are you sure it was a vermillion uniformed Zeon soldier?"_

"Yes Mister Noah," Amuro replied and Kira cut in.

"_That's Char! He's the only one to wear that kind of flight suit!"_

Amuro tuned the rest out as Sayla was in his mobile suit's hand, "Okay, now please lay down," seeing her do so he closed Gundam's hand around her, "Are you alright?"

"Ah? Yes," she replied, getting comfortable and Amuro made sure he had her good and safe in the hand as he began to lift her up higher to safety and step back onto the last working lift, Kira soon joining him.

"Let's do this," Kira stated and both took aim with their beam rifles as they rose up.

Once they were high enough, they fired. Both mobile suits spat out light purple, almost lavender colored beams. They struck their intended targets and the Super Napalm containers exploded.

Immediately, everything caught fire as the flames quickly spread. They consumed oxygen, fuel, components, and began to burn the base. There was no left alive and Kira could see dozens of bodies begin to catch fire. Amuro too, but unlike Kira, he looked away heartbroken at the sight.

The lift stopped and the two pilots as well as Sayla looked back. Even if they hadn't, Char had found a good position to hide among the rocky cliff face. He went completely unnoticed until he activated his vernier pack and took off for the now opening hatch to the dock.

_"__Damn!"_ Kira cursed, both suits were out of position to do anything, but Amuro was quick.

"Mister Noah! The Zeon soldier has just entered the port!"

* * *

"What?!" Bright took a look out and against the colors of the port, he could see -if barely- the vermillion suit clad figure, "What do we do now?" he was still at a loss for what to do.

Captain Cassius though wasn't and physically lifted himself up, shouting his orders, "Close and seal all hatches on _White Base_ now! Then issue a rifle to anyone that can wield one and stop- AH-OWWW-UH!" and he was lost in pain before he could finish, but Bright had his orders as he barked them out over his comms unit.

"ALL HANDS MOVE IT!" he shouted, "CLOSE AND SEAL ALL HATCHES ON _WHITE BASE_, THEN ARM UP, SPREAD OUT IN TEAMS, AND KILL THE ZEON SOLDIER APPROACHING FROM THE BOW!"

* * *

Char shot down the passageway. He expected to be greeted by gunfire at any moment. After what happened earlier, he fully expected every civilian that could, would be out with the remaining soldiers. He could expect no mercy after what happened already.

"All members of the scouting party, retreat at once!" he ordered and got three replies, the men were out of place, but heading to the RV point already.

Char meanwhile, shot down the passage at top speed, recorder up and already hard at work. He would get every bit of information he could. He attached the system to a back up unit on his person. Which was a smart thing as a bullet nearly took the recorder out and Char found himself being fired upon by anyone who could wield a rifle.

If he would have taken the time, he would have spotted old men and women, young teens such as short Hayato Kobayashi, the few surviving military personnel, crew, dock personnel, and everyone else that could hold a rifle, pistol, SMG, LMG, SAW, even a team of fixed machine gunners had emplaced their weapon to shoot at him.

He could only observe the gunfire as he jinked, dodged, and rolled out of the way, recorder still held where he could hold it steady on the new white colored ship.

Then he started going up and over, trying to get a good view of the bridge.

* * *

Bright Noah appeared at a bridge hatch, rifle in hand, and turned back to shout, "Launch the ship now!" everyone would just have to take their chances getting back aboard and then he pushed off, shielded by the sensor array from view.

* * *

Char had to take a circumvented path, dodging rather accurate if hurried rifle fire. He began to approach the bridge section. Once there, the fire began to die away. That meant no one was in position to stop him as they all concentrated down low and he was now up high.

'_Good for-__**SHIT!" **_he shouted the last as he saw an armored Federation soldier appear, a rifle in hand and shooting!

Immediately, he dropped the recorder from his face and began to dodge the incoming fire. This guy was better than the others and was firing rapid bursts. Char could see it was new kind of rifle too, more than capable of absorbing most of the recoil and this Federation soldier was accurate in its use.

The recorder was hit, literally sawed in half by the rifle fire, much to Char's surprise.

"Aw no!" he realized what would happen if he stuck around to be hit too, but also mentally swearing up a storm about how he had been careless.

He jetted away, but not back the way he came. He flew to the massive port hatches of the dock. He had specialized grenades on him that would actually explode through the service hatches on them. He began tossing them.

First one for the inner and then flew through the new opening, tossing the second and blowing his way out through the outer and he was in space.

He saw his scouts and was quick, "The enemy is right behind me!"

That was all they needed, "Sir!" they replied and joined him in the flight from Side 7, grabbing their sleds and ridding them back, praying that the new thermal buffers were up to the task.

Minutes later, with everyone back aboard and the all clear given, the massive hatches opened up. The two Gundams immediately pursued out, Amuro bringing up his targeting scope and barely getting a lock on the four fleeing commandos. He could hear his heart beating in his chest as he brought the targeting reticule around and took aim with the beam rifle, given the range, the CIWS wouldn't work.

Sweat poured down his face, his skin color becoming paler. He zoomed in on the vermillion clad leader. He aligned the scope with the rifle, his hands and body shaking as he breathed raggedly. He heard the primary lock and then shifted to the sniper function.

"I'll fire," he suddenly said, his frighten tone clear, "I'll fire," he repeated and then declaring, "I'll FI-"

"_Calm down Amuro!" _Kira's voice cut through the panic and fear and Amuro hesitated in that moment as he looked over to the Striker,

"_They're too small for us to hit from this range, so don't waste the energy on it."_

"I-I..." Amuro trailed off, watching the four men escape.

* * *

"They're not shooting Major," one of the scouts noted with some relief.

Char nodded as he glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't really make them out, not without the high powered equipment built into his helmet. One had an outstretched arm, the Striker if he had to guess. It looked its pilot knew what he was doing and was reeling the other in.

"Looks like the Striker -if I had to guess- is reeling in the other mobile suit," Char responded to what the scout had said, "It isn't so much that they're ignoring us, is that that one pilot knows we're too small to hit from that distance, at least not with any high probability of getting us before we make RV with our ships."

The three scouts shared a nervous look and tried to make themselves as small as was physically possible.

"_Falmel_ can you still hear me? It's Char," Char suddenly communicated, slightly spooking his men.

"_This is _Falmel_,"_ the comms operator reported back immediately, all four feeling some relief, "_We are still receiving your transmission Oberstleutnant."_

"The enemy is moving out!" Char reported to his ship as a plan formed in his mind, "Use the Laser Line and deploy my Zaku from the first arsenal as well as launch all remaining mobile suits at once!"

"_Roger,"_ was the brief reply.

* * *

Aboard the _Falmel_, Dren merely turned his head, giving his orders.

"Prepare the Oberstleutnant's Zaku and launch Ensign Slender out. Set point at RD-25. Order _Holstein _and _Schleswig _to launch as well."

"Sir," one of the operators turned, "That's only five Zakus against two enemy mobile suits and a Carrier."

"You forget that we also have ships, three of them," Dren rebuffed the man, "Our combined firepower can outdo one enemy Carrier."

Though, secretly, he was worried. The mysterious white ship had all the lines of a Battleship too. Was it some kind of Battlecarrier then? Made sense. They'll know one way or another in any event.

Unfortunately.

* * *

Back on the bridge of _White Base_, Mirai was doing her best to control what was most definitely _not _a cruiser-class space glider. The massive size of the ship was telling on that.

"Gate Sensors set up to 360 degrees and fully operational," Mirai stated tensely as she began to pilot the massive 386 meter long ship.

She heard the armored steps of Bright as he stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, "You're too tense, relax a little," he counselled her, "Let the computer monitor the area, it will pick up any problems."

Turning to look back to him, "Yes, thank you sir," and she turned back to pilot the colossal warship.

Then Bright looked up to a monitor and stated loud and clear, "Amuro in Gundam," the computer identified his voice, ran the command, and promptly sent a contact request to Gundam.

"_Right here,"_ Amuro appeared, a split showed Kira also listening in.

"You're too far ahead," Bright stated, "Stay within 10 kilometers of the starboard side, Kira has the port at 15 kilometers."

"_Okay,"_ Amuro stated as he signed off.

"_Rog,"_ Kira stated in combat pilot shorthand, making Bright lift an eyebrow.

Then Bright turned to Fraw behind Captain Cassius' gurney, "Check each station to be sure they're airtight," he ordered her, "Can you do that?" he added softer, remembering she was a young girl, not a professional soldier.

"Sure," Fraw responded nervously as she headed off to find the controls for that.

Bright then turned to the two cadets manning the sensor stations above the Captain's Chair, "Operators!" he called to them, more forcefully, "Our helmsman is a rookie so you will have to be ready to give quick responses to orders."

The two men didn't take well to how that was stated, but it was understandable, though the one that responded didn't let it show in his voice, "Well of course we will certainly do our best Mister Noah."

"Thank you," and Bright turned from the two to take a quick look around the bridge.

He saw the blonde girl, Sayla, was being directed by one of the surviving engineers on how to monitor and direct the ship's engine and power systems. He noticed that short Japanese heritage kid, Hayato something or other, actually figuring out their systems for the automated computer and defenses. He also spotted that coward Cadet Jose had mentioned early at the back of the bridge, near the lift leaning against the opening with his arms crossed over his chest and just watching. He also spotted another blonde kid, named Job John -who named their kid that?- as he figure out on DC control board.

Mentally making himself ready, Bright turned back to forward.

"All sections stand by for battle and await orders," he stated over the PA, "Screen," he ordered next and the computer brought up various images on a holographic screen, from civilians working with or learning from the ship personnel to where the wounded had been gathered to the refugee area to... three kids and two of them seemed to be having a glaring match with teeth bared as they got into one another's face...

They would likely need to check the computers afterwards.

"Departing from the docking bay," Mirai reported and Bright merely nodded.

* * *

With automatic systems guiding them out, the_ White Base_ began to majestically to leave the battered harbor of Side 7.

* * *

Bright then gave correction orders, "Increase Engine power to maximum, Hard to starboard."

* * *

The untried ship heaved a little hard as she responded to Mirai's commands. The woman doing her own level best. To an outside observer, it looked like _White Base_ was like a foal taking its first steps. Given the ship's class name... they wouldn't be far off.

* * *

Another comm screen sprang to life and the suited form of Cadet Ryu Jose appeared as he reported in.

"_Mister Noah, the Core Fighter is ready and on standby."_

"Jose can you handle it?" Bright inquired to the rotund cadet.

"_Of course sir," _Ryu reported back at once, the Japanese-Puerto Rican pilot was confident, "_I'm a pilot cadet."_

"Well that's better than nothing I suppose," Bright admitted, given how Amuro had no training, "Flight experience?"

"_Two simulations sir, but I come from a family of island bush pilots," _Ryu responded, so at least he knew _how _to fly.

Bright chewed on his lip briefly, "Well if anything that's more than what Amuro's got," though the way Kira was handling his own mobile suit, it was clear he was definitely an ex-Combat Coordinator, but then one of the operators began speaking as an alert began going off.

"Sir! Intense heat sources incoming!"

Bright turned to the station, "Missiles?"

"Large missiles sir!" the man's hands flew over the controls as he read his holoscreen, "Turn 12 degrees to port and 8 degrees down!"

"Mirai!" Bright ordered at once.

"Aye sir!" she responded, but she was slow on the command.

"Too Late!" Bright shouted as he could begin to make them out as a sensor plot showed up before him.

"_I got them!"_ Amuro shouted, "_Should I shoot them?"_

"_No, let them hit the ship Amuro,"_ Kira cut in already maneuvering to engage, "_Of _**COURSE **_shoot them!"_

"_I'm launching now," _Ryu reported as he cut the connection.

* * *

Outside of _White Base_, Kira was already maneuvering right in on the missiles. He took aim and he fired his beam rifle. Unlike Gundam's beam rifle, Striker was currently equipped with a two handed beam rifle for steadier precision. Kira was therefore able to engage at further range and, surprising himself in the process, accurately shooting the missiles before they could close with _White Base_.

Amuro was also maneuvering, but his beam rifle was largely designed to be wielded by a single hand with a side grip for better stability. As such he was engaging the missiles much closer to _White Base_. He hit the first one at a mere 22 kilometers out as opposed to Kira's 40 plus kilometers.

Amuro nervously said it was a 'Piece of cake,' and while he did get the first missile, the second he missed...

"_Hit it!"_

…before eventually turning with it and getting it at an uncomfortable 3 kilometers from _White Base_.

"_Don't just point!"_ Kira chastised immediately, "_Make sure to set for a lead-on and then fire!"_

"_Ah! Roger Kira,"_ Amuro replied nervously, wondering when rather quiet and calm Kira started being such a hard case.

* * *

"Five more objects approaching the ship Mister Noah," Omar replied from his station.

"What are they?" the dark haired officer cadet turned to the blue and white clad operator.

"My guess is five Zeon Zakus by their heat signatures sir," Omar reported as he checked his screen.

"Only five?" Bright actually blinked, knowing that the three ships should have had 16 Zakus between them.

"Yes sir, only five, but they're approaching at speeds comparable to a GINN HM," Oscar 'Marker' Dublin reported as he re-checked his files, "Best speed on four is about twice the normal and the leader is three times as fast."

"That's Char!" Captain Cassius shouted as he leaned up, "His Red Custom is three times faster than _any _normal Zaku, even a Zaku Commander Type."

"What was that sir?" Bright leaned in and heard what he really wish he hadn't, "He says its Char, the Red Comet."

Mentally, everyone felt alarm bells go off in their heads. A premonition of death and fear began to grip hearts. Even the captain was looking worse as he found the strength in his voice.

"Char managed to single handedly destroy five of our Battleships at the Battle of Loum, leaving a tail of vernier exhaust in his wake," a surge of pain then struck him along with fear, "Get us out of here," he managed to wheeze out.

* * *

Charging forward confidently ahead of his squadron, Char saw the two mobile suits and the _White Base_. He smirked, feeling confident as he adjusted himself in his pilot's seat. As was his tradition, he flew only in his uniform, though under it, he wore a gee suit. Even he wasn't that crazy.

"Let's just see," he spoke confidently, "Let's test the reaction of you-"

The Striker fired first and Char evaded, almost right into a follow hail of fire.

"Oh ho!" Char grinned, "Someone knows what they're doing!" then checking in on his pilots, "Slender with me, we'll deal with the lighter colored unit," Slender immediately copied, "Georg, Shaman, Gip, take the other and be careful, that one knows mobile suit combat," the three other pilots acknowledged the order, "_Falmel_ and escort will move in and prepare to engage the enemy carrier, be smart and careful, we have too little information on the enemy," and with that Char broke away to charge at Amuro and the Gundam.

* * *

"I can't stop thinking about the people inside Kira!" Amuro was nervous, "But I think I can handle it."

"_Then switch with Ryu if you only think!"_ Kira responded, "_Amuro, just remember, they want to kill you and everyone else aboard White Base, just remember that all those people are counting on us for more than protection, but securing a better future for them all!"_

"_No you two!"_ Bright's voice came over the comms, "_You're not ready, especially Amuro!"_

Taking that not well, Amuro declared otherwise.

"Just watch me," and he fired only for Char to shift, moving like he wasn't there.

Amuro just looked on in shock that he missed. That red Zaku had been barely 2 kilometers away and he missed! He didn't believe it was possible, not from what he read about in the manual.

"_Amuro jink right and turn!"_ Kira called out, but Amuro didn't hear him in time as Char fired and the Gundam shook pretty badly.

"AHHH-HAH!"

* * *

"Hmm..." Char appraised his shooting, "How do you like that?" and then the smoke from his attack cleared and he could only feel his confidence give way to disbelief, "Impossible! That was a direct hit!"

But he was seeing what he suddenly wished he wasn't seeing. That white mobile suit with the blue torso and red sides turned easily enough. There was no sign of visible damage and its movements dictated that no major or even moderate damage had been achieved.

It was also bringing its rifle up to fire.

* * *

"I see," Amuro shakily began, "This is, this is, _this is _what war is."

"_Hardly Amuro, calm down,"_ Kira was suddenly firing, covering Amuro, forcing Slender back while dodging his own opponents, "This _is a skirmish and that's nothing compared to real battle."_

Amuro shakingly opened fire, but Char was proving too fast for him to accurately get.

"_That's a top ace of Zeon, probably not the top, but he's way up there, so calm down, he's just trying to get you to mess up,"_ Kira spoke soothingly to Amuro as he opened up with CIWS on a Zaku that got too close for the rifle, the head and shoulders being dented and pitted while external cabling and hoses were torn up, "_It's a skirmish Amuro, not a full on battle, just calm down and take your time," _Kira dodged the return fire, if barely as he felt his injuries catch up with him, yet he forced the pain to remain away from his voice, "_Our objective is to escape, not wipe them out. So just hold out until they either run dry or we put the distance between them and us."_

Amuro began to calm a little, but his shots were still hurried and bad. Char was the Red Comet for a reason. He could be as quick as one and was highly skilled. Gifted at piloting mobile suits, he made even Coordinators look green with envy.

Then he began to charge him.

"NO!" Amuro shouted as he tried to back up and get away, but he saw the distinctive look that made many feel fear that was not only the hallmark of ZAFT and Zeon mobile suits, but Char's distinctive red paint and red mono-eye sensor, "AHHH!"

* * *

Char could only grunt as he rolled his Zaku onto its side, barely dodging a shot from the enemy mobile suit. The pilot was way too green to be an actual pilot, let alone a _combat _pilot! Yet he was instinctively taking advantage of the 4D nature of space to and that was to say nothing of the _mobile suit _alone!

"What speed!" he could only declare, "That mobile suit is amazing!"

He barely dodged another shot from the mobile suit as they maneuvered, jockeying for position to get the other.

"Are you there? Slender!" Char suddenly called out.

"_Yes sir I'm now engaging,"_ Slender reported as he closed in to join the fight, "_You're moving too fast for me to easily catch up sir."_

"Right," Char needed to come up with a plan, he could see just what Slender meant and he felt he was the _slower _of the two, "Slender get behind him, quickly!"

"_Oberstleutnant what is that weapon?"_ Slender inquired, "_Both are using weapons I've never seen before."_

"Who cares as long as it doesn't hit us!" Char declared in response, wondering the same, something was _very _wrong with those weapons, "Just cover me!" he quickly switched over, "Georg status!" he ordered.

The man grunted as he barely dodged, "_This guy knows mobile suits, but I don't think he's had much space combat training or experience,"_ grunting again, "_Plus there's something else wrong, like he's wounded or something, I dunno, but we're trying to not get hit anyways," _grunting again, "_He's that damn go- WHOA! That was too close for comfort!"_ then he must have noticed something, "_Be careful Oberstleutnant, whatever they're firing, it has a high heat trail on it."_

"Roger that, take all caution, but get that mobile suit!"

"_The armor is nothing I've ever encountered before!" _Gip added her two creds, "_We've been pounding away when we hit it, but nothing!"_

"Same here, that's why the Generaladmiral didn't make the capture an order!" Char began to maneuver as Slender had the more brightly colored one with yellow eyes under suppressing fire.

* * *

In Gundam, Amuro was feeling the effects of not having a gee-suit on as well as the shaking the Gundam was undergoing. If that wasn't enough, Bitching Betty was screaming away as the alarms demanded his attention for some 50 or so different readings. Then he also had Mister Bright trying to give him advice and coordinate the battle from White Base.

"_The Core Fighter is on its way to provide support, but don't deplete the beam rifle's energy!"_

Growling in annoyance and feeling cocky, knowing what he did about Gundam, "Thanks, but you don't have to worry about that," then he gasped as he saw Char closing in again.

In a panic, instead of firing his beam rifle, he threw a punch.

* * *

In his red Zaku, Char gasped himself as he saw the white mobile suit boost towards him at high speed and throwing a punch. He hadn't been expecting that and he grunted with exertion as he threw his Zaku over the attempted punch. He immediately boosted off himself to get back around behind the white mobile suit.

'_Calm down Char, it's just the raw abilities,' _he mentally told himself, it was to be expected, but he had to admit that for an amatuer, this guy was surprisingly good.

He took aim, nearly having a lock when his threat board suddenly sounded and he looked over to the indicated area to see a new type of fire come at him. It had four guns blazing away and was largely red with a white body and blue trim. He dodged the incoming and prepared to fire back when two missiles left it and he was forced to deal with them instead.

The punch of those explosions was telling.

'_Great! New fighter mounted missiles,' _he maneuvered as the fighter actually pressed its attack.

* * *

Free of the threat of the Red Comet for the moment, Amuro turned to the normal Zaku that had joined the fight. He watched as this one was not nearly as fast or agile and the pilot much less than the red one. Yet it was still a professionally tried pilot against Amuro, so it still took a few moments to get a lock and for Amuro to be able to fire.

The first shot missed, heading to where the mobile suit was and thus where it had been, but Amuro then remembered what Kira said about leading the target and adjusted and quickly got off a second shot.

This time, it was a hit.

The beam punched into the green Zaku, just to the left of the cockpit. Inside, Slender never stood a chance. The beam passed right through the front and tore out at an angle through the back mount vernier pack. The alarms and his own screams had been the only thing he had heard before the Zaku exploded.

* * *

The battle space just abruptly ended with that.

In one shot, an MS-06F Zaku II, one of the most heavily armored and fastest weapons systems ever created, had been destroyed so simply and quickly.

It was both startling and shocking, leaving Char simply to call out to his man as he died and then openly wonder about the Federation's new weapons as fear gripped his heart.

"A Zaku Suit destroyed with only one shot?!" he just didn't want to believe it as he began to ask himself, "But how did this happen? How could a Zaku be defeated like that? That mobile suit would have to be carrying a beam cannon as big as a Battleship's!"

"_Oberstleutnant!"_ Georg's shout drew Char's attention and to Char's horror, he watched as Gip's Zaku exploded, but he could see she managed to eject, but then Georg was shot and just like Slender, killed in a single shot.

"NOOOO!" Char shouted as he watched another of his pilots die, "This can't be happening! It can't! No mobile suit has that kind of firepower!"

"_BASTARD!" _Char heard Shaman scream as she charged the enemy mobile suit with her Heat Hawk, getting in close, but the other unit, Striker merely dodged the blind charge and stored its rifle and pulled out its...

"A _**BEAM **_LANCE!?" Char shouted in surprise and before Shaman could recover, her Zaku was stabbed by the weapon which proceeded to jerk and then get pulled out the side, taking off the left arm, "SHAMAN!"

And that was how Shaman Khan met her end on the battlefield.

"You bastards," Char gripped his flight controls in a white knuckle grip, "I'll make you pay, I swear I will!"

Then his Bitching Betty sounded and he barely dodged that damn new fighter.

"Just a pair of new models, nothing to worry about," Char told himself, but he barely dodged a shot at him and this time, paint and metal were melted away as he dodged down and away to open the distance.

"_Oberstleutnant!" _he could suddenly hear Dren over the comms, "_The enemy Battlecarrier is engaging us!"_

Char found his attention diverted to the four ships engaged in combat and he watched in horror as the _Holstein _fell out of formation, trailing the pinkish mixture of air and smoke from damaged and ruptured sections of the ship. The Laurasia was spitting lifeboats and escape pods as the hanger section detached itself from the ship. Moments later the _Holstein _exploded after its reactor went critical.

The _Falmel _was pulling back as its fire only splashed against the white ship's hull. While all _Musai_-class Cruiser could kill a _Magellan_ in a single shot, that was only if they could charge up to full power. Otherwise they had power equal to a _Nelson_-class heavy Cruiser, if slower fire rate or a _Salamis_-class Light Cruiser at a higher rate of fire.

The _Schleswig _on the other hand was badly damaged. The Frigate had been pummeled by cannon and missile fire. Her broad back was blackened and pockmarked. Her gun towers were gone, shot away or destroyed completely, he didn't know at the moment. The ship was still firing everything she had left, but it wasn't enough.

Char bit his lip, this battle had been an utter disaster.

"Dren!" he shouted as he continued to withdraw back, "We're leaving! Pull back! Call up _Nord Albion_ if you have get _Schleswig_ out of here, but have them provide suppressing fire!"

"_Roger that sir!"_ Dren knew if things were bad, then now was the best time to call up their reserve ship and its five Zakus.

"_Enemy escaping!"Schleswig_ managed to report as the two mobile suits and lone fighter rushed back to rejoin their mothership.

"Next time," Char promised with a growl as his hands shook around his controls.

* * *

"Both Gundams and the Core Fighter have safely landed," Sayla reported from over at communications, Fraw was attending to Captain Cassius, getting him some water to drink carefully.

"Once they're secure," Bright looked out into the Black beyond, "Have Amuro, Kira, and Pilot Cadet Jose report to the bridge at once."

"Sir," Sayla responded as she passed the message along.

"Hey!" Job suddenly shouted, "Who are you?!"

Bright turned, expecting borders, but was surprised to see two women entered with two men in black suits behind them. The two women were rather well dressed and very beautiful. Yet the outfit of one was more than a formal traveling wear like that of her younger companion.

"Who are you two?" he demanded at once, the two guards turning to look at him, "The bridge is off limits and besides that we're still in combat," he stepped around the captain's gurney, which caught their attention.

"Who is it Mister Noah?" the captain's pained voice was barely audible and the younger of the two women moved forward and was soon by his side, "You are..." Captain Cassius suddenly recognized her face, "Princess Royal Marina Ismail of Azidistan, are you not?" she nodded, looking over his chart which had been thoughtfully left with the captain, "Why are you aboard _White Base_?"

Shirin stepped forward to answer for Marina, who was lost in reading the chart.

"We were here to visit Princess Marina's cousin, a programmer for the Earth Federation," she began as gave a disarming smile to the still ready to pounce Bright Noah who only now looked guarded, "We were also using it as a go between place to rest between talks, ironically with Zeon, and were supposed to leave on a diplomatic shuttle today, but as you know, the Zeon attacked Side 7."

"I see," Captain Cassius had heard rumors about a newly discovered cousin, but a programmer for them? "What is their name? I'm sure Mister Noah can send someone to look for them."

"I can do that Captain Cassius," taking a bottle from the small cooler attached to the gurney, "Here sir, some water," the captain nodded in gratitude, "May I ask the name."

"Certainly," Shirin watched as this Mister Noah gently held the water for his captain to sip, but why was the man here? "His name is Kira Yamato."

"Kira?" Mirai turned, she didn't know a course to lay in, but one of the wounded crew members recommended Luna II, it was supposed to be where they were going in the first place, "How is that possible?"

"You know Lord Kira then?" Shirin turned, looking curious, hands clasped and held low against her stomach.

"'Lord Kira?'" Mirai questioned, but shook it off, "Kira is the son of my cousin and his ex-wife, I'm not privy to details, but there was a sudden and unexpected explosive divorce and I haven't seen Kira since sometime before hand," then she remembered, "Oh! And I'm Mirai Yashima as well, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she bowed formally.

"Of the Yashima family?" Shirin tilted her head to the side and saw the Japanese woman nod, "A pleasure indeed," she also bowed, in the Japanese format, but didn't really like it per se, but that still left the question, "Where is Lord Kira?"

"Right... here..." Kira appeared, being held between Ryu and Amuro, his face was turning an ashen white and sweat poured down his face.

"Idiot," Ryu complained as he helped Amuro bring the programmer forward and then he reported, "Damn idiot is a cripple sir and pushed his body further than he should have and he's barely able to keep himself conscious from it all."

"Kira!" Marina was immediately by his side, she had worried about this and took something out of her small purse, "Here's some pain medication for it, but _please _don't do that again!"

She injected him before he could say anything in response, but the fast action was obvious as his ragged breath began to even out into better breaths.

"Where is the ship's XO?" then Shirin noted all those around her, "And the rest of the crew?"

Bright could only grit his teeth as he held back the sorrow that he felt, "We lost just about everyone," he admitted, "From both Side 7 and _White Base_, there's only now 23 military personnel left for duty and some little over a dozen or so technicians and engineers," Shirin's eyes went wide as she let out a startled gasp and Marina froze over by Kira as she and Shirin had both concluded a ship the size of _White Base_ would need at least some 500 or 600 crew at least for skeleton shifts.

"I... I see," Shirin managed, turning to Captain Cassius, "Is there any way we can be of assistance?"

"I have some medical training, but I'm afraid that the captain will need a fully staffed surgical unit and that his wounds even then..." there was no way around it, "They're bad, his career will be over after this."

"At least it is a fine way to end it," he chuckled a little despite the pain, "Mister Noah, see to the ship and let's get somewhere safe and we have plenty of wounded if you wish to help, since all we have is handful of personnel."

"Fortunately we didn't lose all of our medical personnel," Bright helpfully supplied, "Two medical technicians and a Pharmacist Mate are alive, along with two corpsmen from Side 7 as well as four nurses from a clinic, so we're actually in good shape, more or less, there," he tried to make it sound positive, but even then, it probably wasn't.

"See to the ship then and don't forget to set shifts to get even yourself some rest," Captain Cassius stated, glad that White Base was the

first ship with real artificial gravity, at long last, in the Earth Federation Space Navy.

"Yes sir, of course," he smiled, "Excuse me," and he passed by both Shirin and Mirai who was with Kira, now trying to get the story of his injuries out of him.

Stepping up to Ryu and Amuro, all eyes landed on them.

"Amuro!" Fraw called out and even the captain managed to glance over and have a look.

"This him?" Bright asked Ryu who nodded.

"Yep," the rotund pilot confirmed, "Son of Lieutenant Tem Ray as I found out," he shrugged, still in his armor, not a flight suit, "Guess I can see how he might have known some things, but a manual apparently outlived some of our officers."

"Great," not enjoying that bit of confirmation before stepping over to the teen and giving him a measured look, there were going to be problems, but they hadn't a choice, "Well," Bright began, "you relied too much on the machine, you'll have to use your brains a little more next time you fight."

Amuro released a surprised gasp, "W-wh-what?!" there was real fear and uncertainty there, "I-" he began weak, but Bright cut him off.

"Now listen to me Amuro," Bright knew he hadn't the experience, as earlier that day, he was just as frightened as Amuro was now, but he couldn't stay that way, now that he was essentially the ship's only officer, "As long as you can work the Gundam you're a pilot now, not a kid anymore and your duty is to protect this ship."

Amuro's face was paler, but some color had returned. He was scared and understandably so. He didn't wake up that day as a soldier, he woke up as Amuro Ray, just another kid. Now he was a soldier and one that was very unsure of himself.

"Amuro," Kira began suddenly, trying to stand, but unable to do so and Marina wasn't going to let him either, "I know... you're... scared," he breathed raggedly, he looked worse than Amuro, "But the people on White Base need you to lend your strength for their survival as they lend you theirs," he managed to turn his head to face the younger teen, "I've been there Amuro, scared so badly I couldn't stop shaking," Kira took a deep breathe, the pain killers worked, but it was a lot of pain, "Still get it even now," he smiled, it was pained, but genuine, "It'll always be there, but with time and confidence, you can learn to put it on the back burner and leave it there," taking another breath as Mirai held up a water bottle for him to take a quick drink, "Being fearless isn't having the absence of fear, but being able to know it and control it, to lock it in a box and keep going and that is what also makes a person brave," he took another drink, "I think I'm done for a while, so it's up to you and Cadet Jose to get everyone safely to Luna II and hopefully an end to the battle for us civilians."

Amuro took that in, but he nodded, he was still scared, still shaking, "I'll do my best, that's all I can do, right?" he looked up to Bright, "I'll do what I can, because in the end there's no-"

"There is always another choice," Bright informed him, "The question is, which will you choose?"

Amuro always heard that, but until that moment, it never really sunk in and he took a deep breathe, "I'll try my best."

"Your best will only get people killed," Bright informed him, trying to be tough, trying to be the officer he wasn't ready to be, but he put his hand on Amuro's shoulder, "You'll need to be more until we reach safety," he patted the shoulder and Amuro seemed to be calmed down by the gesture, "It won't be fair, I can tell you that now," he told Amuro, "This is a Earth Federation ship and until we reach safety, you work for us and obey my orders," he told him, letting him know there were limits on what he could do, "You won't like it half the time and likely hate my guts the rest, but that's fine by me, as long as you're alive to do so, I don't care."

"I... I understand," Amuro managed, he could see Kira and knew he could have escaped, but still went into battle, despite his crippled body, "I'll do what I can to make sure we survive."

"Good, glad to hear," Bright declared, "I'm also putting you in charge of supervising the Gundam, we're short handed and I still need to get someone to take care of the Gundam Striker."

"I can do that, after a little rest," Kira declared as he felt better now, most of the pain was gone now, "I may not be able to pilot again, but I can at least supervise its care," Kira brought a hand and wiggled it, "I also wouldn't say its 100 percent ready either, it was a rush job to get it out."

"Understood, but go and get some rest now," eyeing the two women who nodded and began to lift Kira up, "Cadet Jose, see to a room for the young man," and the Cadet nodded before leading them out.

Walking up to the front of the ship and looking out, Bright's only thoughts as he could see Luna II were on how unlucky they were to have the Red Comet chasing them, but also relief in what he hoped would be a short flight to safety.

* * *

_**With Kira sidelined by his past injuries and the Striker still unready, they're both left out of the plan for the Core Fighter and Gundam to launch a surprise attack on Char as he awaits resupply and reinforcements. With a surprise attack as their only option, the two will mount their attack, but Char, the Red Comet, always seems to have one more ace up his sleeve.**_

_**Will the inexperience crew and pilots of White Base be successful?**_

_**Or is their already short flight to safety that much shorter?**_

_**Next time...**_

_**VOTE TO ATTACK**_

_**Who will survive?**_

_**Gundam!**_

_**With light as your friend, fight off the darkness!**_

* * *

**Ahhhh~**

**Relief!**

**I've been sitting on this since I don't actually own the series. But I found access to OMSG episodes and nope, it ain't no torrent. **_**That **_**nearly crashed my OS and voided my warranty in the process. I was still able to find and to get access to the series though and that's what counts in the end.**

**Either way, here you go!**

**The next installment of Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front.**

**The name may change a bit in the future. Nothing big. Just something to show it is a crossover. Plus the title is also of a **

**Gundam game, so that's pretty much makes it important to change.**

**This had become my top priority when I found what I needed. So don't worry, I'm still working on the rest. I know I promised a couple of folks I'll expand **_**Galactica Effect **_**into a full story, so I'm working on that now. I'm also working on **_**Gear of Zero**_**, Chapter Two, but I'm currently hung up on a corner I put myself into.**

**Also, Shaman Khan will play a role later on. Even though she's dead now. She'll have a part in why Char never really got close to Haman Khan, besides her being younger. He already put himself in a lot of drama, why not a little more? Plus Haman will want the one who killed her, dead at her feet by her own hand. So Kira will have to be careful.**

**That's about all.**

**I'll have to find the data I put together for the RX-79S Gundam Striker, so please hold on a little longer for that, my apologies about the delay.**

**Okay, that's about it.**

**Xamusel, my beta, will now say a few things.**

* * *

**Xamusel A/N:** Well, this certainly proved to be an interesting endeavor. I recall when Tomcat was working on this around the time he published the first chapter, and, let me tell you, this was something that had gotten me interested in helping him out.

Before you ask about my works, no, I haven't abandoned them. I'm still working on rewriting everything that I can to be in way better condition, considering how screwed up the writing came to be for them... anyway, moving on.

For those of you wondering, Job John actually is a canonical character in Mobile Suit Gundam and in the Gundam F90 series, which serves as a prequel to the movie Gundam F91. Of course, given the difference in time between 0079 and 0120 or so, you'd expect him to be an old man in Gundam F91's prequel. Also, considering that he was originally supposed to be a volunteer crewmember of White Base after the events of Luna II, this first appearance for him here is something of a nice change.

Also, in regards to the overall dimensions of White Base, that was changed by Tomcat for reasons I can't remember right off the top of my head (he changed them on the last day of June of 2013, more or less around midnight, and I should have been in bed by that point).

Now, in regards to the identity of Kira as Akira Yamashiro, I'll leave it to your imagination why Tomcat decided to go with that particular route. It probably has to do with why Kira's got a cane these days in the story. I don't know all of my friend's thought processes, and frankly, sometimes I don't care to know.

(**Tomcat**: HEY! I'm not sure I like how that sounded!)

(**Xamusel**: Based on other people's opinions of you based on what I had said earlier.)

By the way, while this is being beta'd by yours truly, I need a beta to help me with knowing if I overlooked anything important. Please be sure to let me know immediately if you want to help me with the errors that get overlooked.

If anyone feels that this story deserves a review for any of the following:

-Errors that need to be corrected that weren't caught in time

-Explaining things that you liked or disliked in a positive tone

-Explaining things that the author may not have considered originally

-Saying how much you like the story (without ignoring other parts of the story)

-Politely explaining why you wouldn't read this again

Then, please, go ahead and give a review on those criteria. Good Lord knows that any real author doesn't want flames or anything in their reviews of their stories.

Also, before you ask, Tomcat and I are Christians (not the same denomination). That should explain why I said what I did in the last paragraph.

Well, without further adieu, I better get this back to Tomcat.

Until we meet again (in one of my stories hopefully)... Farewell.

~Xamusel

PS: I'm rewriting Naruto: RPG of all Time Edition from the ground up again, just so you guys know that I'm in the process of fixing things that went wrong, which should be good for me. If all goes well for me, I'll have the rewritten prologue up by the end of the month, but only if all goes well for me. Besides which, I've been meaning to get back to a major project of mine that I want to write again from the ground up, and that will only start being rewritten real soon and (hopefully) published by about the beginning of 2020 (given that I want to start writing the story without the major problems of having to post each chapter sporadically).

PSS: I know that Tomcat has other priorities as well, but I'll be borrowing him for a while later on, especially if I want to make sure he gets better as an author. I plan on getting him to participate in National Novel Writing Month this November, but if that doesn't work, I can always find a way to get him to take some writing courses online (with me learning alongside him).

* * *

**Tomcat:**

**Okay, I know I really don't like how that was said. Unfortunately, I'll have ta agree. My writing has seriously slacked and I feel like an amatuer now. So I'll be doing what I can to get back up to par.**

**If ya got anything to say, please say it, as long as it can be positively used. This ain't as easy as it looks and true, I could have left the other added elements out, but you know, I just couldn't help meself. So they're in.**

**I'll be working with Xamusel, but I intend to work on this as well. Project GUNTECH, my RT-Mac/Gundam crossover is also back in my muse too. A second chapter for **_**Lost Gundams**_ **is currently forming itself in my mind. I just need to work out the details. So for those promised that there would be continuation, your hopes and patience will be rewarded.**

**Let's see...**

**Well, can't think of what else. Though if you're wondering about seeing Heliopolis in this... I may consider a side story for that. That's the best, sorry folks. It would just complicate matters otherwise.**

**Well, have a good day or night, it's time to get this **_**POSTED!**_


End file.
